Into Darkness
by Amell86
Summary: Because Neverland isn't the charming world that the stories make it out to be. Its dark, and perilous, and getting Henry out is going to be the hardest mission of their lives. EvilCharming. I'm rubbish at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Inky dark water lapped at the hull of the ship, furled white sails rustled against their ties, the material lifted apart by an inquisitive wind only to fall together again as the icy breeze died away. Standing at the bow of the _Jolly Rodger_, Regina shivered, drawing her dark coat closer to her body. Her dark eyes traced the line of the shore that Hook was steadily steering them towards, fear and desperation coursing through her veins with every beat of her heart. Somewhere in that dark, never ending wasteland was Henry. He was alone, and probably afraid, and right now he was the only reason she was still standing. After enduring hours of torture, followed by hours of throwing every inch of her magic at the failsafe to keep it from destroying the town, Regina was steadily starting to take strain. Her magic felt weak and thready, her body ached everywhere, and the little marks of burned skin where the electrodes had been placed still stung like a bitch. She needed rest – but rest wouldn't come until her son was safe. She lifted her hand as the shore grew ever closer, purple magic spluttering from her fingertips, much like the last droplets of water being squeezed out a bottle. She turned her head to watch as her magic took effect, wrapping around the ship and silencing every tiny tell-tale noise that might alert someone on the shore to their coming. The night was dark enough that they should not be easily visible – so she didn't bother with an invisibility spell. She wasn't sure she had the strength to cast one.

"You should have let Rumplestiltskin do that," a voice said. She flinched in surprise, turning towards Charming as he came to stand beside her. "Sorry," he added, his brows furrowing with worry as he stared at her.

"Keep your voice down," she advised him, speaking in just above a murmur. He nodded his head.

"You alright?" he asked, reaching out to her. She stiffened as his hand found her arm, gentle fingers caressing the bend of her elbow. It was the second time he had reached out to touch her, and she found herself as unprepared for the small gesture of kindness as she had been the first time. Her chestnut eyes flitted back towards land and she nodded, her throat moving up and down as she swallowed.

"Fine," she whispered.

"You should stay on the ship," he said quietly. "You've been through a lot in the past several hours. You need rest."

She made a soft sound of amusement, air huffing through her nose as she shook her head. "You really think I could rest knowing that my son is out there? I'm not staying behind."

"You're shaking," David said, his hand ceasing its light caress of her arm as his fingers curled around to hold onto her forearm.

"It's cold," she mumbled, unable to stop herself from again glancing down at the contact. What on earth was going through his head? She decided to sacrifice herself for his family and suddenly he wanted to touch her? She couldn't understand it.

"Regina…"

She lifted her head again, her eyes widening slightly as he moved closer. His blue eyes shifted between each of hers, filled with a gentleness she had never expected to see in him again. David Nolan had looked at her that way before, like he truly cared for her, like she mattered… But Prince Charming never had.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

Her brows dipped slightly and she gave the barest shake of her head. "For what?"

"For this."

As he spoke he lifted his other hand, the hand she hadn't even noticed whilst she was concentrating on him touching her arm, revealing a small rag in his palm. She flinched backwards as he pressed it to her face, her eyes widening in terror, a small whimper of fear escaping her as she breathed in the potion splashed onto the rough cloth.

"Shh," David hushed her, the hand that had been holding her arm moving around her waist as she fell against him. "I'm sorry. I've got you, you're safe. I'm sorry."

Her head fell limply against his chest, her eyes already fluttering weakly as he pulled the cloth away.

What was he doing? What was this? Had they decided to kill her after all, after everything that had happened? _Why?_

"I'm sorry," David whispered again, before everything went dark.

…

As the sorceress went limp against him, David shifted his grip on her so that he could scoop her up into his arms. For a moment he stood still, staring down at the dark head resting against his chest, feeling guilt and worry pick at him.

_You had to do it,_ he told himself firmly. Regina was still fragile from everything that had happened, too fragile to allow her to come to shore with them and risk her being killed whilst they went after Henry. He would never have been able to convince her to stay willingly, so the sleeping potion he had gotten from Gold had proven to be the next best thing.

For a brief moment, he closed his eyes, remembering the stricken fear in her eyes as he had pressed the rag against her face. After being kidnapped and tortured less than twenty four hours ago, he could only imagine how terrified she must have felt to be drugged by him. In that moment, as her eyes had gone wide and that pitiful sound of fear had escaped her, he'd felt like a monster.

"You got her?" Mary-Margret's voice called, snapping him out of his thoughts. He opened his eyes, staring across at his wife as she walked the wooden deck towards him. He nodded his head, walking forwards.

"She's going to be furious when she wakes up," he commented, wincing a little as he walked past Snow and towards the trapdoor leading below deck.

"Well with any luck by the time she does we'll have Henry back," Snow responded. "He always seems to calm her down – we'll leave it up to him."

David nodded his head as he carefully carried Regina down the steps, feeling encouraged by the confidence in Snow's voice. They were going to get Henry back. Things always worked out in the end. Good would prevail. He took Regina to one of the empty cabins, setting her down gently upon a small wooden bed set against one side of the room. She gave a sleepy murmur as he moved to tug her boots off, before gently covering her with a blanket.

"Rest up, okay?" he whispered, gently brushing an errant ebony-brown curl of silky hair away from her cheek and tucking it behind her ear. "When you wake up, we'll have Henry with us," he promised.

And then they would have to figure out how the hell to get back. Without a second bean, they were effectively trapped in Neverland.

"One thing at a time," he murmured to himself. With a last glance at Regina to ensure she was still slumbering peacefully, he left the room, closing the door to the cabin behind him.

Hook was tossing down an anchor when he clambered back on deck. Emma, Snow and Gold all stood a little away from the pirate, staring out to the shore. Emma glanced over at him as he approached.

"Regina asleep?" she asked.

David nodded his head. "Out like a light. How long will that potion last?" he added, turning to Rumplestiltskin.

"Twelve hours," the imp said. "More than enough time for the queen to regain her strength."

"And for us to get Henry back," Emma nodded. She gestured towards the short stretch of water separating them from the shore as Killian moved towards them. "What's with the anchor? We haven't landed yet."

"Yes, well I'm not running my ship aground just so you don't get your feet wet, princess," Hook responded. "We'll take a rowboat to shore."

"I have a better idea," Gold said, lifting one hand from the cane he was leaning upon. Purple smoke surrounded them all and David blinked, waving the air in front of him as it started to clear. When he opened his eyes, they were standing on a rocky stretch of beach. He turned, disorientated, towards the water lapping quietly to his right, his blue eyes barely able to make out the shadowy form of the _Jolly Rodger _waiting in the bay.

"What if someone finds the ship?" David pointed out worriedly.

"Regina's helpless," Snow added, following his gaze.

Sighing, Gold waved his hand again, and the ship disappeared from sight.

"There," he nodded, turning away from the sea and towards the thick stretch of jungle that loomed darkly to their left. "The ship is safe. Now let's go."

"We're going in there?" Killian groaned, following a pace behind the rest of the group as they all turned towards the trees. "How do we even know where Henry is? Shouldn't we have a plan?"

"I have a plan," Emma nodded her head. "We scour every inch of this place until we find my son."

"A real strategizer your daughter is," Killian muttered, coming to walk at David's side. David ignored them all, intently focused upon the mass of tangled flora that they were steadily approaching. The gloom between the trees fell over them like a blanket as they carefully picked their way through the outskirts of jungle. It wasn't long before they were forced to knock aside heavy palm leaves and creeper from their path.

"This way," Hook muttered, taking the lead. "If we're going to go anywhere, we should head towards the Lost Boy's fortress."

"You know where that is?" Snow asked, picking her way easily along behind him.

"I spent quite some time in Neverland," the pirate said idly. "You learn a few things eventually."

There was a muttered curse from behind them as Emma tripped over a root. David turned in time to see her stumble forwards, catching her balance before she could go sprawling completely. He offered her his hand, giving his daughter an apologetic smile. It wasn't hard to see that she was already completely out of her element with all this. She waved his hand away and then swiped her hand at a gnat that was buzzing around her head, her lips curling in annoyance as it flew away unharmed.

"I'm fine. Let's just keep going."

Nodding, he turned back to the pathway that Gold was forging with sparks of purple magic, causing the plants ahead of them to shrivel and die.

"Someone's bound to notice that," Killian muttered, gesturing to the singing tunnel through the green overgrowth.

"Let's hope we're done here by the time that happens," Gold returned grimly. "Come on."

David followed after them, carefully picking his way through the ashes left behind in Rumplestiltskin's wake. They hadn't been walking long before a piercing, long wail echoed through the night. The hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention and as one the five of them froze in their tracks, their heads swivelling back and forth as they futilely tried to search the inky dark forest surrounding them for the source of the scream. Seconds passed, and the echoes of the cry died to nothing, leaving only the sounds of their own breaths in the stillness.

"Does anyone know…?" Emma started in a whisper, only to be cut off abruptly by the beginnings of another cry, much closer this time. The scream seemed to last forever, so loud it left his ears ringing when it was through.

_There's more of them, _David thought, his heart racing in his chest. His hand moved instinctively, his fingers curling around the butt of his gun even as he wished it was the pommel of a blade. He was better suited to the weapons of his world than of earth.

The silence stretched on, and they all stared at one another in anticipation, counting the moments that passed without another scream to shatter the night.

"We should keep moving," Gold muttered. He started to turn, and suddenly the bushes to their left began to rustle and shake, and another ear piercing scream ripped through the silence, coming from right beside them.

"_Run!_" Snow screamed, bolting forwards. Panic seizing all of them, they followed her command blindly, each of them plunging into the overgrown forest. For only a few moments, David could make out the sound of the others running somewhere nearby – their heavy footfalls, their panting breaths, the swish and snap of foliage parting as they blundered through the overgrowth of green… and then… nothing. He could only hear the noises of his own escape. Another scream echoed over the jungle, this one more distant, but it only served to make him run faster. Those screams had shattered his nerves and turned his insides to jelly. Those screams turned him from a fairy-tail hero into a panicked mess stumbling blindly for escape. Those screams promised a fate worse than death should they find him. So he ran harder, sweat breaking out on his brow as he sprinted through foliage, palm leaves slapping him as he passed, thorny creepers tearing at his skin, leaving stinging scratches in their wake. He couldn't see a thing. The foliage overhead had obliterated the night sky, leaving only blackness. His foot caught against something and he stumbled, and then suddenly he was tumbling head forwards, being lifted into the air by a rope that had tightened around his ankle.

"No!" he screamed, panic overtaking him as he writhed futilely, trying to reach the rope that held him captive. His body swung wildly, heavy leaves smacking against his skin as he swayed into them. Another scream. Then another. Each one far away, each one sounding from different ends of the forest.

_They're not here, _he thought desperately. _Just calm down. You're okay. You're safe. You're safe. _

Was it possible to throw up while upside down? He felt certain he was going to soon find out. He took slow, controlled breaths, trying to force his body back into a semblance of calm.

_Where are the others? _he wondered fearfully.

"Please," he whispered aloud. "Let them be safe."

He closed his eyes and tried not to wonder when his captors would come for him.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thank you all so much for the follows and favourites, and to Grace de Gold for reviewing! I really appreciate the support. I'm currently studying veterinary and I'm about to go into exams, so life is about to get pretty busy for me, but I have a few chapters written already and I'm hoping to be able to keep updating regularly. Just to note, whilst the focus of this fic is Regina and David, for the story to progress I found I have to write everyone's perspectives. So the chapters are going to vary in POV's. _

**Chapter 2**

"Quiet," Gold hissed, staring up through the gaps in the trees overhead. "They'll hear us."

Snow gulped in a breath of air, shuddering and gasping through her fear. She was crouched on the ground beside the Dark One, hiding like a child beneath heavy frond leaves, her hand pressed over her mouth in a futile attempt to stop the fearful whimpers that were slipping uncontrolled from her throat.

_Get a grip! _she screamed at herself. _You're acting like Mary-Margaret would have._

She was not weak, she told herself fiercely. She was a hero. She was strong and brave and she was not going to die in this forsaken place. She was a hero damn it.

"Where are the others?" she gasped out, her voice trembling. "David and Emma… what if something happened to them?"

"Shut up," Gold growled.

"You're the Dark One," Snow pointed out, her voice still a strange, high version of its usual cadence. "Y-you're supposed to be all powerful. Except for your dagger… but they don't have that. Can't you kill them?"

She watched as his hand moved, sliding down into one of the pockets of his coat as she spoke. Checking for something, she noted, filing the information away for another time. Pulling his hand free, he turned slowly to face her. In the silvery moonlight filtering through the breaks in the trees, his eyes seemed to almost shine.

"I have no idea what those things are," he said quietly. "And I'd rather we not find out. We need to move forwards. The sooner we find Henry, the sooner we can be away from this place."

"What about Emma? And David?"

"If they're alive, we'll most likely find them while searching for Henry."

"_If_?" Snow repeated shrilly. Rumplestiltskin shushed her in annoyance.

"Yes, if," he repeated firmly. "The sooner you accept the fact that we may not find them, the easier this will be. Now let's go."

"We will find them," Snow whispered, rising unsteadily to her feet. She was still straining her ears, her heart thudding expectantly for the next scream to fill the night. "They're alive I know it."

Rumplestiltskin huffed out a breath, gesturing for her to move forwards. She fell in beside him, chanting the words silently over and over again in her head. _They're alive. _They had to be. They would all find Henry and bring him safely home again, and this nightmare would be over.

"I think the screaming has stopped," Snow whispered, green eyes flickering skyward as she spoke. Gold made a noise of agreement, his head tilting back as his eyes followed the same path.

"It'll be daylight soon," he noted.

"Do you know where Henry is?" she asked, easily keeping pace with the old man.

"I'm as lost as you are dearie," he said. "All I know is that it makes no sense to wait around in the middle of no-where."

On that sentiment she agreed wholly. In the aftermath of the terror the screams had ignited in her, she found herself filled with a nervous, restless energy that could only be burned away through action. Walking was helping to keep her calm.

With a suddenness that startled both of them into an abrupt halt, the trees around them suddenly fell away to a sandy shore, and they found themselves on the bank of a wide estuary. Snow caught her breath, her green eyes flying back towards the ocean and the thin orange line of light she could see at the break between sea and sky, signifying the sun's impending arrival. The sky above that orange line was painted with streaks of vivid pink and darker purple, before rising up to a midnight blue sky still sprinkled with stars above their heads.

"There's a village," Rumplestiltskin said quietly. Snow jerked her head back to the river in front of them, her eyes wandering to the bank on the far side of it. Thin plumes of smoke crawled out of tepee tents, barely visible through the shadowy pre-dawn darkness.

"Do you think they can help us?" she asked, stepping involuntarily closer. After hours of endless darkness and oppressing forest, the sight of even the simplest of civilisation was tempting.

"I think they might know where Henry is," Gold responded. "And we can _make _them help us," he added firmly. She shuddered, casting the Dark One a sideways glance at the maliciousness in his voice. She sometimes forgot who she was dealing with. Never for very long though. "Come on," he gestured to the river. "We'll have to swim it."

"_Swim_?" Snow repeated indignantly. "Can't you like… magic us across or something?"

"I could," Gold nodded. "But I was using magic when those screaming creatures first appeared. I don't know if there is a connection but…"

"You're right," Snow said quickly, fervently. "We'll swim."

"You first," Gold said, as they approached the water's edge.

"Why me?" Snow asked.

The Dark One gestured to the far side of the bank. "Because there's a boat on the other side. Once you reach it, you can bring the boat back for me."

"Why should I…?" she began heatedly, her arms waving to the side animatedly as she started to protest.

Gold cut her off calmly. "Because you are younger and undoubtedly a better swimmer than I am since you happen to possess two sound legs. If I tried to swim across the current might drag me out."

Hissing in annoyance Snow shrugged off her coat and tugged her hat from her head. Arguing with Rumplestiltskin was senseless. She could see by his expression that nothing was going to convince him to enter that water, which meant she either had to do as he told her or simply swim to the other side and abandon him. The problem was, she needed him more than he needed her. In their haste to rescue Henry, none of them had given too much thought as to how they were intending on protecting themselves in this place. Emma and David were both armed, and probably Killian too, and Rumplestiltskin and Regina both had magic… But Snow had nothing.

"You'd better take the boots off too," Gold advised, earning a furious glare from the raven haired woman. She yanked off her boots, shivering as the cold wind played at the remainder of the light clothing she wore. Sucking in a steadying breath, she moved closer to the shore. She dove into the water, the coldness instantly shocking her body as she became submerged. For a moment her muscles seemed to forget out to move. Floundering, she broke free of the surface, gasping for air.

_Keep moving_, she told herself, forcing her unwilling limbs into a crawl stroke. The water felt like a thousand tiny daggers, her skin stinging all over from the cold. The river was wide here, and even after a few minutes she hadn't managed to make it half way. She lifted her head, staring across the expanse of water through water-blurred vision.

"Keep swimming!" Rumple's voice called out from behind her.

She started to turn, fully prepared to yell back something angry and un-ladylike at the sorcerer, but at that moment a pair of cold, webbed hands seized hold of her calf, dragging her deep under the water before she could utter a sound.

…

With a gasp, Emma sat up suddenly, her shoulders heaving as she breathed in and out raggedly. Green eyes swept across the jungle that surrounded her, taking in the overgrown trees and hanging creeper made grey by the wan morning light that was shining down through the canopy overhead.

"Calm down, would you?" a voice behind her uttered.

She jerked violently at the sound, twisting around to see Killian seated on the ground behind her, his legs stretched out before him, his back supported by a moss-covered boulder.

"What happened?" she asked shakily, pulling her knees up beneath her so that she was in a half crouch, ready leap to her feet and run should a threat make itself known. "Where are we?"

"We're in Neverland, in case you've forgotten," the pirate said jadedly. "As for what happened – the Screamers we heard last night sent us all running off in different directions. You tripped and hit your head against a rock – knocked yourself unconscious. And _I _have been sitting here babysitting you all night, praying that those things don't come back."

"Screamers?" Emma echoed softly, a shudder running through her as she recalled the shrieks that had filled the air the night before.

"The night-watchers of Neverland. It is said that the sound of their screams can curdle a man's very blood in fear. They're the guards who keep boys from escaping. You'd have to be deaf to be able to make your way through the forest while those things are howling around you."

"And you didn't tell us this last night because…?" Emma began heatedly.

"Sorry princess," Killian cut across her. "I was somewhat distracted trying not to wet myself. I've never been in the forest here at night time. I had no idea…"

"So if the Screamers were out, does that mean one of the boys escaped?" Emma asked. She sucked in a breath, her heart fluttering as a possibility struck her. "What if it was Henry? What if Henry escaped last night and we were all too busy running away in fear to help him? What if…?"

"Shut up," Killian waved her off in annoyance, pushing his hand against the ground as he slowly rose to his feet. "You're giving me a headache. The Screamers come out _every _night – whether or not a boy has tried to escape. And even if someone did try last night, it doesn't matter, either way we're going to get Henry back."

"But if he's out alone in this forest…"

"Then he's no less safe than he would have been amongst the Lost Boys," Killian said firmly. "Right now, we should be focusing on finding the others," he said, holding his hand out towards her. "I don't know about you, but since now there's two of us instead of five, I'm suddenly feeling less ready for a fight."

She took a breath, exhaled it slowly, and nodded. Ignoring his hand, she stood up, trying not to think about the way the ground seemed to be swirling beneath her feet. She was not going to fall down or pass out. Not when she needed to keep her wits about her around to stay alive.

"Looks sore," Killian commented, his hand reaching to her face. His fingers brushed against sensitive flesh and she flinched back, her own hand lifting swiftly to inspect the wound. It was round and swollen and stung like hell when she touched it. Which, naturally, meant she couldn't stop touching it.

"Come on," Hook said, walking forwards. "I think I remember a plant that can help with the swelling. I'll keep an eye out for it."

Cursing softly, Emma dropped her hand and began to follow after him.

"We should head back to the ship," she told the pirate suddenly, her thoughts flickering to the others. When she had been about seven, her foster mom at the time had always had a rule – if she and her foster siblings got separated in the mall, they had to meet her back at the car. This was sort of the same thing, really, Emma decided. "That's where the others will be," she said, nodding her head. Well, it was where she _hoped _the others would be. It was where Regina was, at least. She scrunched her nose, trying to work out how many hours had gone past since they had drugged her. She was pretty sure she would still be unconscious.

"Great," Hook announced, stopping suddenly in his tracks. He turned around, sweeping his hand and hook out dramatically. "Which way to the ship?"

"Uhhh…" Emma glanced around at the never ending abyss of green trees and foliage that surrounded them on all sides, before returning her gaze to Killian. "You mean you don't know?" she asked him aggressively.

"Yu-up," he dragged out the word, shrugging his shoulders up and down. "I have no idea. And I'm guessing you don't either."

"You seemed to know where we were going when we _entered _the jungle," she pointed out.

"That's because I happen to know that this is a roughly circular island and that Pan's fortress is in the centre of it. You start at any point of the shore and walk straight into the forest and eventually you're bound to find it. But since we all scattered like headless chickens in every direction, I have no idea which way we're headed. Our best bet is to try and find the beach and start again."

He held her gaze for a moment after he had finished talking, steady blue eyes meeting hopeless green ones. How were they ever going to find Henry when they were all completely lost?

"So we keep walking?" Emma asked, the words sounding small and defeated.

"We keep walking," Killian said, turning back around.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thank you clarissam for the review, I really appreciate hearing what you guys think. I've been hoping to get a few chapters down before the busyness hits me so here's the next one._

**Chapter 3**

Shards of honeyed sunlight spilled through the circular window above her head, illuminating the wooden cabin with a soft, golden radiance. Dark chestnut eyes opened slowly, blinking sleepily as they focused. For a moment, there was not a thought in Regina's head. She simply lay in bed, staring at the floating specks of golden dust that shone in the morning light in the air around her.

Then, as suddenly as a bucket of water over her head, memories came flooding back.

"Son of a bitch!" she swore, sitting up suddenly, her legs swinging over the edge of the bed as she came swiftly to her feet. She grabbed her boots, yanking each of them on roughly before stalking out of the cabin, towards the rough wooden steps leading above deck.

"Charming," she called out warningly as she ascended the steps. She reached up, pushing the trap door open. "I'm going to…" she trailed off mid-sentence, confusion furrowing her brow as she glanced around the empty deck.

_They left me,_ she realised, her heart dropping with the realisation. They had drugged her and then left her on the ship while they went in search of Henry. She pulled herself up onto the deck, breathing deeply as the sting washed through her. They still didn't trust her. They never would. They would trust Gold, the manipulative deceitful imp, but not her. She closed her eyes briefly, her fingers clenching as she tried to work through the wave of emotions running through her. The familiar rage and hurt and hopelessness all washing together until she could scarcely breathe because no matter what she did, it would never change how they felt about her. Probably the only thing stopping them from having thrown her overboard and drowning her whilst she was unconscious was the fact that it would have upset Henry. Her son cared enough about her not to want her to die, it seemed, but not enough to ever want to actually spend time with her.

"Stop it," she hissed, her chestnut eyes snapping open suddenly, her vision momentarily blurred with tears until the salty droplets fell, slipping down her cheeks. She quickly lifted her hand and swiped them away.

This wasn't the time to fall apart, or contemplate the dark, miserable existence that was her life. She could slide back into her world of hatred and anger once Henry was safe. Turning around she fixed her gaze upon the rocky shore of beach that lay ahead, on the edge of what seemed like a never ending forest of green. Calming down now, she started to take note of things she had missed upon waking, like the fact that it was around mid-morning, based on the position of the sun. And the fact that, though the nights in Neverland were bitterly cold, the day was proving to be scorching hot. She unbuttoned her black coat and pulled it off, followed by her red scarf and the red blazer she'd had on beneath, leaving herself in a black tank top, leggings and boots. She glanced downwards at the pile of warm clothes she had left on the deck and leaned down, picking up her black coat contemplatively. Who knew how long it was going to take to get Henry back, or how many nights she would have to spend out in that forest? With a light wave of her hand, she summoned a backpack. It was simple, dark brown leather with a single strap that went across her torso. Another wave of her hand and the coat in her hand magically folded itself into a square of black material that fit into the palm of her hand. She tossed it into the bottom of the bag and turned back to the trap door. Clambering back below deck, she set in search of food. Whilst magic could conjure many things, no sorcerer had ever been able to create real food out of magic. The food that she could summon was as insubstantial as air, containing none of the nutrients or calories that real food had which the body needed for sustenance. She found a small storage room filled with the pirate's stock of food and quickly set to work tossing several of the cans into her backpack. Feeling somewhat better prepared, she climbed the rough wooden ladder back above deck, dark eyes once again flying towards the beach. She closed her eyes briefly, pulling on a little more magic from within her and allowing the purple substance to consume her. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing on the beach. Her brows dipped in surprise as she realised that the ship had disappeared from sight now that she was no longer standing upon it.

_Gold,_ she realised, giving a slight nod of approval. The last thing they needed was for the Jolly Rodger to be stolen or put to the torch in their absence. Exhaling a tense breath – it felt as though her chest was constantly under too much pressure since Henry had disappeared – she turned around to face the forest. Reaching up, she nervously fiddled with the leather strap of her backpack, adjusting it so that it wouldn't cut into the bare skin on of her shoulder as she walked. She didn't like the look of that forest. It was more of a jungle really, nothing like the wide, open woodlands of the Enchanted Forest which she had loved so dearly in her youth. It was dark and dense and ominous, and Regina could only imagine the kind of trouble she was going to find in that place. But Henry was in there somewhere, and picturing her little boy was more than enough incentive for her to start walking purposefully forwards, a spell lingering at her fingertips as she held her hand up in front of her, causing the foliage ahead to part itself for her passage. There was a soft rustle behind her as the leaves fell back into place in her wake.

She'd barely walked twenty paces in before she came across the visible remnants of the path the others had taken. A black, scorched away passage had formed through the thick foliage, no doubt at Rumplestiltskin's hand. Tiny pieces of ash floated through the air in the burnt tunnel, like little black snowflakes. She caught one between her forefinger and thumb, crushing it to a fine powder before idly wiping away the smudge against her leggings.

"I guess we're not trying to be subtle," she murmured aloud, shaking her head. She continued walking through the pathway that Gold had forged, each step sending yet more dark flakes of ashes into the air around her. The burnt tunnel lasted only a few minutes of walking before suddenly ending in a wall of green foliage. Regina tilted her head curiously, glancing around uncertainly. Something must have happened, she thought, a prickle of unease crawling down her skin.

Walking slower now, she continued onwards, once again using her own magic to forge the path ahead, the trees and leaves bending away from her as she approached them. She was straining her ears, listening carefully for any sign of trouble, concentrating on the noises of the birds around her and the wind rustling through the foliage. When she was young, in a time before Daniel had been a part of her life, she had escaped from her mother's overbearing clutches by disappearing into the woods for hours at a time. Amidst the tall trees of the Enchanted Forest, she had found her freedom by inventing a different life for herself. She often fancied herself a hunter, or a bandit, and she would while away her afternoons practicing her skills with a bow or learning the different tracks of the forest creatures. It all seemed so far away now, those innocent, carefree moments she'd spent alone.

_How did I become so different? _she wondered. _When was the moment that I lost myself forever? _

A loud peal of laughter snapped her from her thoughts, and she lifted her head, glancing in the direction it had come from. Voices drifted through the forest, the low, malicious tones of several youths. Carefully, Regina made her way towards the source.

"Well, well," one of the voices said. "What do we have here boys?"

"Looks like he's lost," another said, chuckling darkly. "Are you lost sir?"

They came into sight suddenly, at least seven of them, circling like vultures around a man strung upside down to a tree.

_Charming, _she realised, surprise widening her eyes as she recognized the prince. Just what the hell had happened last night?

"Please," David's voice was raspy. "Just let me go. Or I swear…"

"You swear what?" the first boy asked – a tall, lanky teen with raven hair that fell messily into his face. He leaned forwards, his expression cold. "What are you going to do to us, prisoner?"

Folding her arms casually in front of her, and leaning her weight upon one foot, Regina decided this was her moment to make her presence known.

"_He's _not going to do anything to you," she said calmly. "I am."

David's head jerked towards her, his blue eyes instantly filling with relief, an expression she had never expected him to direct at her. The seven boys spun around as one, all of them staring at her with varying expressions of surprise. The raven-haired boy recovered first, his expression twisting with cruel amusement as he eyed her up and down.

"You're unarmed lady. Whereas we…" he held his arms out, gesturing to the odd assortment of swords, daggers, crossbows or bows that each of his followers were equipped with.

She laughed lightly, a cold and dangerous sound. "You're mere children playing with grown up's toys. Now unless you plan on dying this morning, I suggest you drop them."

The teen scowled at her. "Jeff," he called, his green eyes not leaving Regina's dark ones, "Take her down."

A smaller, brunette boy lifted a crossbow from his back, pulled back the bolt and let it fly towards her. His aim was a little off, she thought, as she lifted her hand with lightning reflexes and caught the wooden shaft in the air. There was a gasp from the boys at the small display. She dropped the bolt carelessly to the ground, lifted her hand again and with flick of her fingers their weapons were gone.

"Magic," the one named Jeff hissed, whilst the others muttered the word reverently.

"Magic, she has magic."

Regina blinked in surprise, feeling oddly unnerved by the way they were all staring her.

"Peter will reward us richly for her," the raven-haired kid announced. "Seize her boys!"

As one they all charged towards her, yelling some sort of battle cry and for a moment Regina was frozen, stunned by the sheer stupidity that she was being faced with. When would people learn to stop underestimating her? Finding herself suddenly unwilling to slaughter a group of unarmed children, she compromised by sweeping her hand towards them, transforming six of the boys into harmless brown squirrels. The one boy she had spared stopped instantly in his tracks, his jaw dropping open at the sight of six squirrels scampering into the forest, each of them shrieking shrilly. She walked towards the child slowly, dropping to a crouch in front of him. He had been the smallest of the group, barely eight years old at her guess, with sandy blonde hair and pale grey eyes.

"W-what are you going to do with me?" he stammered.

"I'm going to ask you a couple of questions. And if you answer them honestly, I'll let you go."

"And if I lie?" he asked, tilting his head.

Regina smiled. "You won't," she promised him, a warning in her tone. "Now, what is your name?"

"Ben," the boy answered quickly, his throat moving up and down as he swallowed nervously.

"Good," Regina gave him a small nod. "Now Ben, have you seen this boy?" as she spoke she focused her mind on his, using her magic to send him a mental image of Henry's face. Ben jerked in surprise, gasping softly.

"Wow… That was weird," he mumbled. Catching sight of her impatient expression he shook his head.

"I haven't seen him. What's his name?"

"Henry," she said quietly.

"Henry? That's the boy they took to Peter!"

Regina closed her eyes, fighting to keep calm. "Is he alive?" she asked, not opening her eyes.

"Yup," Ben said confidently. "Peter wouldn't kill him yet."

"_Yet?_" Regina's eyes flew open. "What does that mean?"

"I… I dunno!" Ben said hastily. "I just overheard some of the older boys talking. They say Peter has to wait for something to come, then after that he won't need him anymore. I'm telling the truth. That's all I know honest!" he said in a panic.

"I believe you," Regina said softly, her voice soothing the child. "One more question Ben, then I'll let you go, okay?"

The boy nodded his head eagerly. Slowly, Regina lifted her hand, delicate fingers touching the side of his temple. He flinched at her touch, but held still, not pulling away.

"I want you to imagine you're walking back to where Peter is. To where they keep Henry," she said. "Can you do that?"

"It's a long walk," Ben said doubtfully.

"That doesn't matter. Concentrate."

Grey eyes slid closed, and a moment later Regina felt his memories rising to the surface, landmarks and directions suddenly becoming clear, until a moment later she was looking at a ruined fortress consumed by trees and creepers. She blinked, her mind clearing, and she suddenly knew exactly where to find her son. She summoned a touch of her magic, sending it into the child's head. He slumped, his eyes sliding closed as he crumpled to the ground.

"What did you do to him?" David asked, as she rose to her feet and walked towards him.

"He's asleep," Regina said shortly. "When he wakes he won't remember any of this."

"Okay," David nodded as best he could while upside down. "Are you gonna help me down or what?" he added, gesturing to the rope tying him upside down.

Regina remained silent, allowing her anger at him to surface in her expression. She watched as David's expression shifted into panic.

"No… Regina…"

"You drugged me," she said furiously.

"It isn't what you think…"

"You couldn't trust me to help find my own son? After everything that happened? After I tried to sacrifice myself to save that damn town? You trust Rumplestiltskin more than me?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Why didn't you just damn well kill me then?" she snarled, ignoring his protests.

"I was trying to _protect you_!" David yelled.

Regina paused, her lips slightly parted in surprise, shaking her head slightly in disbelief.

"What?" she whispered.

"I was worried about you," he continued. "You were barely strong enough to stay standing last night. I knew I could never convince you to rest, so I got a sleeping potion off of Gold."

Dark brows pulled together as she considered his words, finding nothing but honesty in his expression. Feeling strangely touched, she lifted her hand and the rope holding David up snapped free. She used her magic to lower him gently to the ground, and he groaned in pain as his body finally settled on the forest floor. Moving forwards, she lowered herself down to crouch beside him.

"You're telling the truth?" she pushed him, dark eyes searching light blue. He nodded, his expression contorted with agony.  
"Yes," he panted. "I'm sorry for what I did, but I couldn't let you inside this place as weak as you were last night."

Tentatively she reached towards him, her hand carefully resting upon his forearm. She summoned her magic, sending a wave of healing energy through the prince, banishing the pain from his cramped, stiff muscles and joints. He exhaled a long sigh of relief, the lines on his face relaxing as the pain ebbed away.

"Thank you." He sat up suddenly. "Really, thank you," he repeated. "For not killing those kids. For saving my life. For believing me. Look, I know we've had our differences before, but I remember a time when you and I used to be sort of friends."

"During the curse?" she asked quietly, the memory of that time rising to mind. Her friendship with him had been for the sole purpose of manipulating him, surely he knew that?

"I know it wasn't real," he continued, as though reading her mind. "But I also know that it could be. I remember really valuing your friendship Regina. So I don't know. Maybe we could try it out for real this time," he said, shrugging. At the doubtful expression on her face he continued talking. "I'll make you a promise," he said. "I know we've both tried to hurt each other before, but from this moment onwards I swear, I will never do anything to hurt you ever again. I think we could try and be friends."

He stuck his hand out towards her, his eyes watching her calmly as he waited for her to respond. It took her a moment to work through her shock. Friends… with Prince Charming, Snow White's husband for goodness sake! It was a ludicrous idea… So why did it feel so appealing? Why did the idea of having him as her friend sound so damn tempting?

_Because you have no friends, _a voice whispered inside her head. _You don't even really have Henry. You're alone._

She was tired… so, so tired of being alone.

Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his. For a moment she stared down at their hands together, hers small and smooth, his large and calloused. Her dark brown eyes found his once more.

"Okay," she nodded her head. "I don't exactly have much experience with friends but I can promise to never hurt you again. You're safe with me," she said softly. That much she could give him. Her fight had never been with Charming, and she'd never intentionally set out to hurt him. She wasn't going to be making any such promises to Snow just yet but she didn't see the harm in giving her word to David. A smile crossed his features and she shook her head at his obvious enthusiasm for what had just transpired between them. He shook her hand gently, holding it a moment longer before releasing his grip.

"Come on," she stood up, moving quickly away from him, suddenly needing her distance again. She could hear him scrambling to catch up to her as she moved deeper into the jungle. "I know where to find Henry."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Special thanks to Grace de Gold, Keyhlan, Andrea-W-M, SouthforWinter and Anny Rodrigues for reviewing :) _

_Andrea-W-M: Yes, this is definitely going to be an Evil Charming love story, hang in there, lol. _

_Hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. _

**Chapter 4**

The peach was slick and slippery in his fingers and cloyingly sweet on his tongue. David bit into the tinned fruit eagerly, groaning in bliss at the taste. Canned peaches had just become his favourite fruit. Shoving the rest of it in his mouth, he reached for the can Regina was holding out towards him and tugged out another peach from its syrupy bath. He demolished the second fruit as quickly as the first, licking his fingers clean from the sticky goo that was covering them. He glanced up at Regina as he finished, finding those large, dark eyes watching him with a mixture of disdain and amusement.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked suddenly, gesturing towards the tin she held in her hand. "When last have you eaten?" he added.

"I…" she hesitated and David found himself counting back the days, realising suddenly that she couldn't have eaten anything since the day she had been kidnapped. "I'm not hungry," she protested, as he took the tin from her hand and fished her out a peach. Obviously Regina was the type who lost her appetite under stress, he noted, as he handed the fruit across.

"Eat," he said firmly. "Or sooner or later you're going to faint."

Sighing, she lifted the glistening peach to her mouth, taking a delicate bite. Her dark eyes went wide as she tasted it and a small whimper escaped her and suddenly she was biting into it eagerly, sugary juice dripping down her chin.

"Hungry now, huh?" he asked, chuckling. He took a half step closer to her, reaching out with his thumb to brush the juice off her chin. She froze at the contact, her mouth still fill of peach, her eyes confused and uncertain. With nothing else to do with the juice on his finger, he lifted it to his lips and licked it off. She swallowed, the sound resembling a gulp, and lifted her own hand to remove the traces of syrup his finger had missed.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

He nodded, his heart suddenly thudding against his ribcage. His blue eyes traced her features, the line of her jaw, her cheekbones, her full lips… he lingered there a moment before catching himself, forcing his eyes to move onwards, to her tousled silky dark hair, her slender neck, protruding collar bones beneath pale olive skin...

"Charming?" Regina called his name quietly. His eyes snapped upwards, meeting her dark brown ones again. She arched a brow slightly in question and he shook his head.

"Here," he held out the tin can to her. "Take the last peach."

She slipped a delicate hand inside, lifted the last fruit out and bit into it, her eyes fluttering closed in rapture as she ate, giving him the opportunity to continue staring at her. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why it had never struck him before just how damn gorgeous she was. The moment the thought came into his head, he instantly felt guilty for it.

_Snow, _his conscience berated him. _Your wife is lost inside this forest and you're busy ogling her most dangerous enemy. What is wrong with you David? _

Shaking his head, he turned away from Regina, breathing deeply to help clear his thoughts.

_You're just tired, _he told himself reassuringly. _You're not thinking straight. And we'll find Snow and the others just as soon as we've rescued Henry. _

"What should we do with this?" Regina asked and he turned back to find her holding the tin up thoughtfully. "Throw it away?" she shrugged after a moment, moving to do just that.

"Hey, hey!" David grabbed it from her. "There's still all that juice inside," he pointed out, lifting it up and taking a long sip of the sugary fluid. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and grinned at the disdainful expression on Regina's face.  
"I think I've just discovered where Henry got his sweet tooth," she said, shaking her head. She motioned for them to continue walking and he fell into step beside her. She lifted her hand as they walked, using a neat little spell to make the foliage ahead of them bend out of the way as they passed. David secretly loved it. It felt as though the plants were all bowing to him and Regina. Like he was the Plant King or something.

"He used to steal spoonfuls of chocolate syrup as a snack between meals," Regina admitted. He glanced across at her, finding her lips curled into an almost-smile at the memory.

David smiled in answer, nodding his head. "Sounds like me," he said. "I used to risk my life stealing honey from bees' nests back in the Enchanted Forest. A few stings for a comb always felt like a worthy trade," he laughed.

"Must be nice," Regina murmured, her eyes fixed on the ground ahead of her. "To see a trait in him and know that it's yours. Like a piece of you inside of him…"

He felt a stab of pain at the longing in her voice. "You know who he reminds me the most of?" David felt compelled to ask. Regina lifted her gaze to him, shaking her head slightly. "You. He's just like you Regina. The way he talks, his expressions, his stubbornness… When I see that kid, I see you."

She bit her lip, her eyes suddenly glassy. "I miss him," she whispered. "I can still remember a time in his life when he used to cry if anyone else held him but me. I remember the way he'd hide under my bedcovers during a thunderstorm. And how he would race to find me in the parking lot outside of school everyday. He used to talk my ear off on the way home," she laughed shakily. "And then one day it just stopped. Between one day and the next, he hated me." A tear slipped down her cheek and her hand flew to her face, quickly swiping it away.

"He doesn't hate you," David said firmly. "He misses you too, I know he does. He just doesn't know how to show it. None of us have made this easy on him. We've all been at each other's throats since the curse broke."

She nodded her head slowly to his words, but he could see by her expression that she was less than convinced.

"So where are we headed?" he asked, deciding that a change in topic was in order.

"Peter Pan's fortress," Regina said, clearing her throat subtly before she spoke. When she glanced over at him, her expression was carefully emotionless, like a mask she had slipped on to hide behind. David instantly wanted to shake that façade away and tell her that it was okay to show emotion. But he held himself in check, not wanting to push the queen too far too fast. Getting her to agree to attempt a friendship with him seemed like a large enough step for the day.

"How far is it?" he asked instead.

"Three days walk in this direction," Regina said, using the hand she was casting her spell with to point. As one, the plants around them all turned to face the way she had indicated, before Regina opened her hand again and they returned to bending backwards away from her. David would have laughed at the sight, had it not been for the fact that Regina had just mentioned the words _three days_.

"What?" he shook his head in disbelief. "Three days in this place, no way! Can't you do that magic teleportation thing and take us there?"

Regina shook her head, looking frustrated. "To do that I need to know where I'm going. And right now all I have is Ben's vague directions in my head. This is the best I can do Charming. Trust me, if I could get to Henry sooner I would."

"You don't understand," he said, his voice growing louder with stress as he spoke. "I can't… I can't spend another…" he stopped in his tracks and Regina stopped too, turning towards him with a questioning look on her face. "At night, these _things _come out and they start screaming," David told her. "And their screams make you feel like every nightmare you've ever had has just come to life. Their screams make you want to wet yourself. I don't know if I can handle another night listening to that."

Regina's features had softened at his words, and as he spoke she moved closer to him comfortingly.

"It's okay," she said, laying a hand on his arm. His eyes flitted down and up again, startled by the contact and even more startled about just how aware he was of every second that she was touching him. "Let me worry about those creatures. Trust me David, I'll protect us," she stepped back, dark chestnut eyes flitting between each of his blue ones. When he nodded she smiled softly. "Good. Now come on, we have a long walk ahead of us."

She stepped back, her hand dropping away from him. When she turned away and began to walk forwards again, he allowed himself a small exhale.

Incredible… He had seen this softer side of her when she was dealing with Henry, but having it directed at him was another thing entirely. Eyes that had always seemed as cold as ice to him, now seemed open and warm, bright and dark all at once. She had taken his offer of friendship to heart it seemed, she had lowered her defences slightly and now he found himself gaining small glimpses of the woman who was hidden beneath the cold mask. Finding her, the _real _her, felt like finding a shard of light in a sea of darkness. It only left him itching to uncover more of it. Realising suddenly that Regina was now several paces ahead of him, David shook himself out of his reverie and jogged to catch up with her. He reached out, his hand catching the leather satchel she wore slung over her back.

"David," Regina glanced over her shoulder at him as she walked, perfectly shaped brows furrowed in annoyance. "What are you doing?"

"I'm still starving," he admitted, tugging out another tin. He glanced at the label. "Chicken soup… Hey, can you open this?" he asked, holding it over her shoulder.

Sighing, Regina took it from him, shaking her head as she looked down at it. "When I packed food, I wasn't counting on your appetite. We're going to have to start keeping an eye out for anything edible around."

A plume of purple smoke slid from her fingertip, sliding around the edge of the tin and opening the can as she spoke. The circular lid lifted into the air, before vanishing in a small puff of smoke. Regina held the can out and David fell into step beside her, taking it from her eagerly.

"You warmed it up," he said appreciatively, taking a sip and finding it to be the perfect temperature. He held the tin up, inspecting the flaking paper and spots of copper coloured rust shining through. "Hey, do you know how to cure botulism?" he asked conversationally.

She laughed softly, a sound which David instantly adored. Her hand snaked out, stealing the tin from him as she took a sip. He gave her a questioning look as she handed it back.

"Its safe," she pronounced, nodding her head, an amused smile still playing at her lips.

"You're awfully useful to have around you know," he said teasingly, nodding his head.

"I know," Regina said, smirking a little. She gave him a sideways glance. "Remind me why I'm letting you tag along with me again?"

"Hey!" he said in mock indignation. "I'm useful too. I bring charm, humour and my dashing skill with a sword to the table."

"And yet you don't have a sword," Regina pointed out. She reached towards him suddenly and he felt her quick fingers pluck something from his side… His gun. "But you do have this," she said, swinging it in front of him. "You know, you could have used this back there when those boys were attacking you."

"I wasn't about to shoot a bunch of children," David said, deciding not to add the fact that he wasn't even sure he _could _shoot whilst upside down. It was hard enough while standing straight. He plucked it from her hand, sliding it back into its holster. "And don't give me that look," he added. "You couldn't kill them either."

"I could have," she said irritably. "I just decided not to."

He laughed at the expression on her face, at her obvious annoyance with him for making it sound like she wasn't capable of taking on a group of children and winning. He was fully aware of just how powerful she was, and how effortless it would have been for her to leave those kids as nothing but a pile of ashes had she wished to. But at moments like these, it was hard to look at the petite, beautiful woman walking beside him and see a powerful and dangerous killer. It had been easier in the Enchanted Forest, where she had looked and acted the part. Here, she just seemed so much more human to him, and that made everything harder.

_It doesn't have to be hard, _he reminded himself. _She doesn't have to be the enemy anymore. _

He wanted her as a friend. Not just because she was powerful, not just because it was safer for all of them that way, but because he was starting to realise that he liked the Regina that was buried beneath the Evil Queen. If one good thing could come from this trip to Neverland, David decided, it would be bringing her back from the darkness.

…

His wrists were bleeding from the chafing of the thick, rough ropes that Greg had used to tie him up with. Henry shifted his hands for the hundredth time, wincing at the resulting sting. He could feel the trickle of congealing blood sliding down his hands. Still, he didn't give up. He was the grandson of Snow White and Prince Charming, and of Rumplestiltskin. His mother was the Evil Queen, and his birth mother was the Saviour. With a family like that, he couldn't just sit still and not try to escape.

"Come on," he muttered, pulling his hand harder. He felt the rope give a little, the blood on his hands making them slippery, helping them to slide through. Footsteps echoed from the passageway outside his cell and he jerked his head up, squinting through the dim light provided by the single torch scone set into one of the stone walls of his prison. It was a simple, small square of a room, four stone walls with a metal door set into the fourth wall, the floor covered in straw and reeking of urine and dirt. Just being inside of this place made Henry long for home. Not the small apartment he had been recently sharing with Emma, Snow and David, but his real home. The pristine white mansion he had grown up in. The place that had always smelt of floral floor cleaner and fresh linens and warm baked goods. He wanted to be back there again. He wanted to be sitting in the living room, eating warm chocolate chip cookies and reading his comic books in the afternoon sunlight. He remembered lazy Sunday afternoons like that, when his mom would lie across one of the cushy armchairs in the room, her legs draped across one armrest, her back supported by the other, a book resting in her lap. He would lie on the carpet, his legs in the air, his comic in front of him, and they would both just read in silence. He would give anything to be back there again. But when he opened his eyes, he was still trapped inside a prison cell, a world away from home, and the footsteps outside the door were growing closer.

"Come on," he whispered frantically, pulling harder at his bindings.

Firelight flickered through the bars on the top of his door, and Henry could hear voices outside.

"He's in this one."

"Open it up then."

With a violent tug, he ripped one hand free, gasping at the pain the action had caused him. At that same moment, he heard the key twist in the lock on his door.

_Quickly, quickly, _he urged himself, loosening the rope around his other hand, before slipping his first hand back into the loop. The door swung open and he flinched guilty, wide hazel eyes staring up at the two men who stood outside.

_Not men, _he silently amended a moment later, staring hard at their faces. They looked to be in their late teens at the oldest. Lost Boys then.

"On your feet kid," one of them instructed, waving a long, curved sword at him. Unsteadily, Henry did as they asked, shifting to his knees first before clambering to his feet, struggling without the help of his hands. He walked towards the two teens slowly, nervously shifting his hands within their bindings, checking that they were loose enough to slip free from easily. He would have to wait for the perfect moment.

"Where are we going?" he asked as one of the boys grabbed his arm and began leading him down the darkened passageway out of the dungeons.

"Don't ask questions," the second boy told him, not unkindly. "Just keep your mouth closed and don't speak unless you're spoken to – especially not to Peter."

Henry nodded his head, a flutter of nervousness rising within him. He had read the story of Peter Pan before, but obviously that story hadn't exactly been the truth. He wondered how many of the other fairy tales he had read were also wrong. He wondered how true the stories in his book were. He had always taken them to be perfectly accurate, but now he found himself doubting it. Life generally was more complicated that a story which could be told to children.

He could feel the warmth of the outside starting to creep within the stone fortress as they steadily made their way up the stone steps leading out of the dungeons. They reached a heavy wooden door at the top, which the second boy pushed open with a squeak of rusted hinges, and suddenly Henry was blinking in sunlight that was far too bright. There was an open courtyard of overgrown grass between the dungeons and the grand hall of the fortress. Henry stumbled across it blindly; his eyes squeezed shut against the brilliant light that streamed down from a cloudless azure sky overhead. He heaved a sigh of relief as they stepped inside the open doors on the opposite side of the courtyard, opening his eyes once more.

The many windows scattered throughout the hallway offered a great deal more light to the interior than Henry had been exposed to in the dark dungeons, but compared to the white sunlight that had blinded him outside, this was a softer yellow glow which he felt more equipped to deal with. He blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the annoying coloured dots of light which were flashing in front of his vision.

"There he is," a familiar voice called cheerfully. Henry lifted his head, his expression settling into an angry glare as he caught sight of Greg and Tamara. Tamara had spoken, leaning forwards with her hands on her knees and what Henry supposed she thought was a welcoming smile. He'd seen snakes look friendlier than that woman.

The pair of them were standing on a raised dais at the end of the hall, just beside a tall stone throne, where a lanky blonde teenager was reclining, one leg thrown lazily over one armrest, his elbow resting against the other as his hand supported his head.

"Bring him closer Drew," the boy called out, and the teen who was holding him began walking him down the length of the hall. Once Henry was within a few steps of him, Peter leapt to his feet, the action made strangely graceful by the fact that he floated in the air briefly before settling upon the ground.

_He really can fly,_ Henry thought in wonder, his eyes widening.

Piercing, bright blue eyes met Henry's gaze thoughtfully.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you Henry," Peter announced, stepping down from the dais and moving to stand before Henry. He nodded at the boy holding Henry's arm, who instantly released him and stepped backwards.

"So," Tamara spoke up, causing a frown to cross Peter's face. "We've held up our end of the bargain. You have the boy. Now give us what we came for."

"Very well," Peter said, the words a sigh. "Bring it in," he called out. There was an odd sound of something heavy scraping against the stone floor and Henry spun around in time to see five boys striding down the length of the hall, each of them rolling a large wooden barrel before them. They stopped just before Peter and set the barrels upright, lining them up neatly.

"Ned," Peter instructed, and one of the boys dipped his head into a bow, before reaching into his coat pocket for a flat bar of metal. Greg and Tamara made their way towards the barrels as the boy used the metal bar to pop open the lid of the barrel in front of him. Curiosity taking hold of him, Henry crept a step forwards.

"What is that?" he asked, forgetting the rules momentarily as he stared into the barrel of black, swirling liquid. Luckily, Peter didn't seem to mind the question.

"That, Henry, is mermaid's ink," he said. He lifted his head to Greg and Tamara. "Five barrels of it, as promised. Use it on the bars of a prison cell to trap a magic user, or even better, inject that into their blood, and they'll wish they were never born."

"We have big plans for this," Tamara said, smiling cruelly. She lifted her eyes to Peter's. "That concludes our business then?"

"Have a safe trip home," Peter said, nodding his head. He gestured towards Henry. "Boys, take Henry up to his new room. Gently, if you please, he's a guest here now."

"What are you planning on doing with him?" Greg asked, giving Henry a thoughtful look.

Peter chuckled darkly. "That, I'm afraid, is _my _business."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_**A/N: Whew! It has been a crazy week! Literally just typed this all out now, because today is the only free day I have for a while again, so please forgive me any mistakes. Thanks again to Keylan, Andrea-W-M, SouthforWinter and Grace de Gold for reviewing. I really appreciate the feedback and love hearing what you guys think!**_

_In her dream, she remembers. She remembers laughing, loudly and uncontrollably, spurring the black gelding beneath her to run faster as she chases after her step-mother who is seated astride a smaller chestnut mare. They're galloping at breakneck speed through the forest, weaving recklessly between the trees, racing through dappled patches of sunlight and shadow. It's a beautiful day. _

_Up ahead, Regina suddenly reins Rocinante to a halt, swinging down from her saddle with a vibrant laugh. Snow slows her gelding to a trot as she reaches the brunette's side._

"_You win again!" she huffs, sliding down from the saddle with far less finesse than Regina had shown. Regina smiles back, before stepping forwards onto the ledge they have stopped at, leaning down to look over the waterfall gushing down the rocky slope, into a crystalline pool several feet below. She breathes in deeply, tilting her head towards the sun. _

"_Isn't it beautiful Snow?" _

"_I suppose," Snow White shrugs doubtfully, stepping up to stand beside her. "I've seen bigger ones. What are you doing?" she adds, watching wide eyed as Regina stoops to pull off her boots. The brunette's grin widens. _

"_Going swimming of course," she responds innocently. _

"_In your clothes?" Snow demands, shaking her head because the very idea is preposterous. Regina shrugs off her coat, leaving herself in a simple white tunic and a pair of leather pants. _

"_Why not?" she asks, tilting her head. "Come on, doesn't the water look great?"_

"_We're royalty," Snow shakes her head. "Royals don't go swimming in ponds like commoners," she says primly. Her step-mother doesn't have much skill in acting like a queen, she notes, not for the first time. It's hard to believe she comes from royal blood. _

"_Suit yourself," Regina shrugs again. Sliding one foot forwards, she gracefully pushes off the edge and dives into the blue water below. She hits the water with the barest of splashes, plunging in deep. On top of the ledge, Snow shifts uneasily as she waits for her to surface. _

_A long moment passes, then another, and young Snow continues to watch the water uneasily. She slumps in relief as a dark head breaks free of the water and the sound of Regina's laughter echoes through the clearing. _

"_It's so deep!" she calls up. "I could barely make it to the bottom."_

"_You're going to have to ride back soaking wet!" Snow yells down. _

"_So what?" Regina stretches her arms out, allowing herself to float on top of the water. "The sun will dry me off." After a moment she lifts her head, swimming closer to the fall of water that rushes down the mossy rocks. "Come on Snow," she says. "Stop being such a princess and jump in!"_

"_Why would I want to stop being a princess?" Snow asks incredulously. Even as she's saying the words, she's leaning down to tug off her boots. Regina has always been able to convince her to do almost anything without any effort. They're so near in age that the brunette has always felt like an older sister to her, more than a mother, but she prefers it that way. Replacing her mother had never sat right with her and she is grateful that Regina has never tried to do so._

_She pulls off her coat, dropping it next to Regina's discarded clothing. Taking a breath, she leans forwards and jumps off the ledge. She feels like she's falling forever, and as she falls the dream changes, and she's no longer at the waterfall with Regina. She's swimming across a broad river, and its dark and she's cold, and there's someone behind her yelling at her to keep swimming. She starts to turn, and that's when the hands grab her and pull her under. She flails, kicking out desperately as she is pulled down from the surface. The dark water churns around her as she fights off her attacker, clawing at the hands that are holding her. She can't breathe. She tries to suck in a breath, and instead finds herself pulling water into her lungs. She chokes and heaves, and all the while the hands holding her pull her further down. She's going to die, she realises suddenly. She can feel her mind switching off. Where's Regina? Why isn't she helping her? With the last of her strength Snow yells her step-mother's name. _

"Regina!" she screamed it out, sitting up suddenly, her chest heaving as her lungs sucked in huge gulps of air. For a moment, the world around her didn't make sense. She was sitting upon a make-shift bed of fur pelts, surrounded on all sides by several wooden poles arranged in to lean against each other in a circle, which had been covered by some sort of animal hide.

_A tent, _she thought. _I'm in a tent_.

"Thought you'd never wake up, dearie," a familiar voice called out. "Does Regina still haunt your nightmares even after all this time?" he added with amusement.

"Gold?" she mumbled, turning her head to find the Imp seated on the ground beside her. She slumped backwards, falling down heavily upon the fur beneath her. Everything hurt, she realised suddenly. Every breath was an effort. It felt like someone had been banging on her chest. "What happened?"

"You got into an unfortunate altercation with a mermaid," Rumplestiltskin told her. "Fortunately your struggling roused the locals and they sent out their men to rescue you."

She closed her eyes briefly, her dream surfacing to mind, the memory of the attack all too vivid.

"Why didn't you help me?" she growled, glaring across at the Dark One, who shrugged unapologetically.

"The others seemed to have it under control."

"You bastard," Snow hissed, turning her head away from him.

_Don't forget who he really is Snow, _she told herself, squishing down the part of her that was somehow still hopeful that he would come around and be someone good, someone that she could accept as part of Henry's family. The knowledge that half of her grandson's family history lay in darkness was disconcerting.

"What happened to the mermaid?" she asked, glancing over to him again. He grimaced slightly.

"It got away. Mermaids aren't easily killed."

"And the people who saved me?"

"I would imagine they are around somewhere," Gold waved his hand in an idle movement. "Now that you're awake, we should be moving on."

"Henry," Snow nodded, feeling almost guilty as thoughts of her grandson returned to her. She pressed her hands to the ground, pushing herself upwards. Gold rose to his feet with her. Slightly unsteadily, Snow moved towards the entrance to the tent, intent on getting out of this place as fast as she could. She pushed the loose flap out of her way, stooping as she exited. The day was bright, the sun shining high in a cloudless sky above her head. All around her were scattered tepees forming the village she had remembered glimpsing from the other side of the river. Camp fires sent plumes of smoke into the air, half naked children giggled and chased each other through the village, whilst the older villagers walked more leisurely through the camp. A small group of men were practicing throwing axes a little away, several woman were huddled together over a large pot, laughing and talking animatedly, a wolf cub gambolled playfully behind a toddler who was running after some of the older children, crying out at them in frustration when they refused to stop. Snow took it all in, wide eyed, surprised that such a happy and prosperous place could exist in a world like Neverland. Whatever she had been expecting… it hadn't been this.

She turned back to Gold. "Who are these people?"

"There are tribes like this scattered throughout the forest," he said, glancing around with distaste. "From what I can gather, they're natives to Neverland. They age normally, unlike the people who aren't born here."

_Strange, _Snow thought. _We could spend hundreds of years searching for Henry, and none of us would age a day. I forgot about that. _

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Come on," she said, nodding. "Maybe one of them will know which way to go to find Henry."

…

The Lost Boy's Fortress felt like a labyrinth. By the third flight of stairs and what felt like the hundredth turn, Henry could feel himself starting to panic. He was never going to get out of this place. He could never possibly remember all the twists and turns it had taken them to get where they were. Drew was walking beside him, one steadying hand on his shoulder to keep him from trying anything. His other guard had left them a few turns back. Henry shifted his hands discreetly, checking his bindings again. They were still loose. He could slip them off at any time. But it had to be soon. It had to be now. If they locked him inside another room, his chance would be over.

_Wait, _he cautioned himself. _Just wait. _

It had to be the perfect moment. He would only get one chance.

"You're pretty quiet, kid," Drew commented, glancing down at him. "Don't you have any questions for me? I'm sure this all must seem pretty scary."

Henry kept his eyes on the ground, holding his silence. He had nothing to say to these people. Heroes didn't chit-chat with the bad guys, after all.

"Alright then," Drew shrugged. "I'll talk for the both of us," he announced. Henry glanced up, despite himself, surprised at the older boy's persistence. Drew grinned down at him. "You're going to grow to like Neverland kid," he promised. "Peter already seems to like you – that's a good sign. We'll teach you how to use a sword, and show you how to fly, and before long you'll be a proper Lost Boy. It's the best life you could imagine. Its danger and adventure and freedom and never ever growing old. What more could you want?"

_My family,_ Henry thought, dropping his gaze again. He wanted Emma's cheerful chatter in the morning, he wanted to hear David's jokes and Snow's soft mannered voice and he wanted… he _really _wanted his mom. He wanted Regina's gentle hands to run through his hair, the way she always did before he left for school in the morning, trying futilely to smooth it down neatly. He wanted things to be back to the way they had before. He wanted to hear her laugh again – it had been so very long, and it was the best sound in the world. His family was so much more important than anything these kids could ever offer him.

"You're a tough nut to crack," Drew laughed. "But you'll come around eventually. I was like you in the beginning – I thought of home all the time. It gets easier though. I don't even remember their faces anymore."

Henry glanced up at him again, wide eyed. _How could you forget? _He wondered, stunned. The faces of his family, his mother in particular, were more familiar to him than his own hands. He could no sooner forget them than he could his own name. What kind of place was this?

"Look out there," Drew stopped suddenly, pointing out one of the open windows in the stone walls. The midday sun was shining through brightly, casting a pool of white light around his feet as he paused. He blinked, his eyes taking a moment to make the adjustment. Beyond the stone tower walls of the opposite side of the fortress, and the overgrown garden growing in a square of green below, the jungle loomed dark and forbidding until the horizon. It seemed thick, like a dark green impenetrable blanket of dense foliage. Hazel eyes narrowed as he examined it thoughtfully, weighing up his options. If he escaped, he would have to escape to that dark, forbidding jungle. Who knew what kind of creatures roamed about in that place?

_If you stay, you'll never escape, _Henry told himself. His family didn't know where he was, how could they? They'd only seen him disappear into a portal. What if they never found him? What if they spent the rest of their lives searching worlds that he wasn't inside? No. It had to be him. He had to escape. He had to get back to Storybrooke.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Drew asked softly, his hand dropping away from Henry's shoulder as he leaned out of the open hole in the wall. Henry felt the loss of his hand keenly, and his heart raced as he tensed his muscles to run.

_Soon, soon. _

"Just wait till we teach you how to fly kid," Drew murmured. "Soaring up there in the sky, seeing the world below you looking so small and far away… There's nothing else like it."

Henry took a half a step back, his eyes riveted to Drew's face. The lost boy didn't seem to notice the movement. Carefully he slipped his hands free of his bindings, allowing the blood-stained rope to fall silently to the ground.

_Now, now, now! _He screamed inside his head. He spun around and bolted, his first step feeling like a stagger, nerves turning his legs to jelly. He stumbled on, adrenaline flooding through him as he heard Drew's indignant shout from behind him. Stone walls whizzed past him as he bolted down the corridor. He caught sight of a flight of steps heading downwards and sprinted down at break-neck speed. Another corridor. Doors flying past on either side of him. He kept running, his heart clenching at every frantic yell and shout that echoed through the fortress around him. Another flight of stairs down. He tripped over the last step, stumbling forwards. A pair of strong arms wrapped around him, lifting him off his feet and into the air.

"No! No!" Henry yelled, struggling desperately. "Let me go!" he kicked out with his feet, then shoved his elbow backwards with all his might, feeling it connect with the soft abdomen behind him. With a pain-filled grunt, his captor relaxed his hold. Henry dropped to the ground, pushing himself back into a running sprint and blindly hurtling away. This wasn't the way he had come from. The brief glimpses he had of painted hangings on the walls were unfamiliar. Still, he kept running. He didn't have time to figure out the right direction. He passed another tall, arch shaped open window in the wall and suddenly stopped. He was on the second level now, and the distance to the ground below him suddenly didn't seem so great.

"Where is he?" a voice yelled, from somewhere nearby.

"He went this way," another answered.

No time to think, Henry told himself, stepping up onto the ledge. He crouched down, braced himself for the fall and pushed himself out of the open window. It felt like he was falling forever. He crashed into the soft grassy ground below the window, crying out at the stinging pain that flooded his legs at the impact.

_Get up!_

He pushed himself up again, his legs feeling weak, his heart still fluttering like a trapped bird in his chest. A short stretch of grassy lawn separated him from the outskirts of the jungle. For just a moment, Henry hesitated, trembling slightly as he considered what might be waiting for him inside there. Then he steeled his courage, took a breath, and ran straight towards it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_**Huge thanks to Keyhlan, VampirePrincess86, Natali Rempel Drews, Connie and Sinister Scribe for reviewing! You guys really make my day! **_

"Stop," the blonde ahead of him ordered suddenly, lifting a hand into the air. Killian huffed out a sigh, lifting his hand to swipe at a bead of sweat that was crawling down his neck. Wearing leather in this heat wasn't exactly his finest plan. He had long since shrugged off his jacket, and was now carrying it loosely in the curve of his hook. The weight of it was starting to put a strain on the cup that fit over the stump of his amputated limb. He pulled his sound hand away, flexing it slightly and feeling the ghostly pain of his missing hand trying to flex too. He could still feel it sometimes, despite how long it had been since Rumplestiltskin had taken it. Sometimes he would still awaken in the middle of the night, screaming in pain he felt from a hand that no longer existed. He pulled his coat free from his hook, choosing to hold it in his sound hand instead. The only thing stopping him from ridding himself of the garment entirely was the knowledge that, come nightfall, he was going to be needing it desperately.

"What is it princess?" he asked, glaring at Emma. They didn't need to be making unnecessary stops. They needed to get the hell out of this jungle before darkness fell.

"Shush," she hissed, half turning towards him, a glare marring her pretty features. She turned back to face forwards, tilting her head slightly as she listened intently. Rolling his eyes, he moved closer towards her. He stopped just behind her, leaning his head forwards so that he could whisper in her ear, and relishing in the way she jumped as he did.

"What do you hear?" he murmured.

She turned around to face him, still glaring. "Water," she said, speaking in normal tones again. Her brows dipped slightly. "At least I think I did. It's faint. Just try and listen would you?"

They both fell into silence, holding each other's gaze as they both listened again. After a moment Killian could make out what the Saviour must have heard – a faint, familiar gurgling of water rushing over rocks.

"All streams lead to the ocean right?" Emma asked, nodding her head to her own logic. "We find the river, follow it to the sea, and then we can start looking for the fortress again."

"Or the ship," Killian pointed out as Emma turned and began to walk purposely forwards again, swatting foliage out of her path. "Isn't that what you said we should do? Find everyone first?"

"I did," Emma dragged out the words, sounding conflicted. "But what if they're not looking for us? Every moment we waste is another moment Henry is in danger. I have to find my son."

The words sparked a memory, and Killian found himself swallowing down a lump in his throat as he thought about Milah. He remembered the way she would lean against the railing of his ship, her eyes staring out sightlessly across the ocean, the wind toying with the dark strands of her, pushing them into her face. He would walk up behind her, wrap his arms around her waist and rest his head upon her shoulder, and she would whisper the same words every time. "I have to find him. I have to find my son."

As the days away had turned to months, then months to years, her longing for Baelfire had only grown stronger. Her love for her son and her love for Killian had waged an eternal war, though in the end Killian had always won, promising her that they would return for Bael when he was just a little older, old enough to live a life on the sea.

_We should have taken him with us from the start, _he thought, not for the first time. When he had finally found Bae, the boy had grown bitter and angry and it had been far too late.

"Hey look!" Emma called out, the excitement in her voice dragging Hook from his lost thoughts. He blinked, glancing ahead at her, before following the direction of the finger she was pointing upwards.

"What?" he sighed, walking closer. He had been lagging behind, too distracted to keep pace with her.

"There! Wait, no, it moved… There! See it?" Emma hopped on the spot, waving her hand eagerly towards the highest boughs of the trees overhead. Killian leaned his head back, blue eyes squinting slightly. A flash of blue light suddenly caught his attention and he groaned, dropping his gaze back to stare at Emma.

"Fairies?" he asked. "You stopped me to look at fairies?"

"There's more of them," the blonde whispered eagerly, green eyes wide as she scanned the trees above. "Oh wow… They're beautiful."

"They're a bloody menace," Killian said in disgust. "Let's go."

Emma didn't seem to hear him, too entranced by the tiny creatures fluttering through the branches overhead. To her obvious delight, one of them flew down towards her in a trail of yellow light, alighting daintily upon the finger she had been using to point with. A soft gasp escaped the blonde, her eyes now as wide as saucers as she and the fairy examined each other. Something about the look on her face, lips slightly parted, eyes big and innocent to the wonders of the world that by rights she should have grown up with, had Killian forgetting his impatience and simply staring at her. It was only when she let down her guard, when the prickly exterior she displayed to the world melted somewhat, that the similarities between her and Snow White became more apparent. To be sure, the girl took after her father strongly, but the soft, delighted expression she currently wore reminded Killian of her gentle mother.

After a few moments of scrutiny, the fairy on Emma's finger took to the air, flying just a few feet away before hovering in the spot, babbling on in the usual unintelligible high pitched chatter of fairies.

"I think it wants us to follow it," Emma whispered, moving after it.

Killian squeezed his eyes shut briefly, shaking his head in frustration. "No Emma, come on," he opened his eyes to find her walking away several yards ahead, and hurried to catch up. "No good has ever come from following a fairy," he warned her. "They're not to be trusted."

She ignored him, too focused on the glowing creature fluttering ahead of her. It dipped and weaved its way effortlessly through the foliage, always managing to stay in sight as Emma clumsily clambered after it.

"What about the river?" he called out.

She didn't seem to hear him.

Cursing fairies and stubborn blondes and the damn jungle he was lost inside, Hook had no other choice but to follow after her.

"Hey look!" Emma's voice called back to him after a few minutes. Killian pushed aside the leaves of a prickly cycad aside, sighing as he finally reached Emma's side again. She had finally stopped walking, and was now staring ahead, her arm extended as she pointed. "It's a cave," she said.

Killian followed her finger, glancing over at the cave suspiciously. It looked innocent enough. It was a small opening in a low rise of rocks, covered with yellow flowered creeper and ivy. It didn't seem big enough to be hiding anything that could kill them.

"That's nice," he said jadedly, "now can we please… _Emma_!" he growled her name furiously as the blonde moved forwards, ducking onto her hands and knees as she crawled into the opening. "You're being entranced!" he accused her, following after her. She had disappeared through the opening, and as he crouched down he noted that the cave was far larger inside than he had expected. The ground sloped downwards sharply inside, giving it far more depth than its exterior hinted at. "This is what fairies do," he called into the darkness. "They babble shit into your ear and coerce you into doing something stupid!" When she didn't answer he cursed softly, glancing at the forest behind him as he considered simply abandoning her.

"Killian come on," Emma's voice called him, from somewhere within the cave depths. Hook sighed, glancing back into the cave.

"Damn her," he muttered, before crawling down into the darkness.

…

The sun sank slowly in the sky, its deep orange glow half hidden beneath scudded pink clouds. Twilight had stolen over Neverland, rousing the crickets into song and hushing the birds into silence. Standing high on a bough of a tree, tall enough to gaze out over the canopy of green jungle that surrounded them in every direction, Regina silently took stock of where they were. After a long hard day of walking, she and Charming were deep within the jungle. Dark chestnut eyes flickered around carefully, trying and failing to locate any sort of landmark that would help give an indication of where they were headed. All she could see was leaves, a thick green blanket punctuated by those few ambitious trees that had managed to grow taller than the canopy line.

"Can you see it?" David called up. He had wanted to climb up himself, but was too heavy to reach as high as they needed to be in order to see anything without breaking branches. So he had to contend with waiting for her on the ground.

"Nothing," Regina called down, shaking her head. Not that she needed to see anything really. She still had Ben's directions inside her head, and she was almost one hundred percent confident that they were headed in the right direction. Still, it never hurt to be sure. She had been hoping to catch a glimpse of the fortress. If she had, she might have been able to use her magic to teleport herself directly there. As it was, she couldn't teleport without risking landing up _inside _a wall or a tree and killing herself outright.

_Hold on Henry, _she silently begged her son, tears pricking her eyes as worry consumed her. _Just hold on sweetheart, we're coming. _

If they had hurt him she would kill them, she silently vowed. Every last one of them. She would leave this land in ashes. Regina felt her magic flare up in response to her emotions, her irises briefly glowing with purple light before she exhaled slowly, forcing herself to calm down.

"Are you coming down?" Charming called impatiently, his voice helping to bring her back from the angry darkness. "It's getting dark down here."

Regina nodded her head, before realising that she was too high for the Prince to see the motion. "I'm coming," she sighed, gracefully climbing down from the limb she was balanced on to the one below her. As her feet settled upon the slim bough, a dark figure, distant against the orange sky suddenly caught her attention and she froze, wide eyes lifting to the sky.

A creature, clothed in tattered robes, had floated up from amidst the trees, and was now hovering in the air over the jungle. Regina's heart caught in her throat, her breathing growing shallow as she stared at the shadowy figure, watching the way the wind caught and played with the black material that cloaked it.

"What the hell is that?" she breathed, stepping forwards along the branch to get a better look. As she moved, the creature suddenly opened its jaws and screamed.

She had never heard such a sound in her life. It was a sound that had her blood curdling, her legs turning to jelly, her heart fluttering like a panicked bird within her chest. She lost her balance, her feet sliding off of the branch as her knees buckled beneath her, sending her falling away from the tree, a shriek of panic escaping her lips as she fell.

"Regina!" she heard David yell, and a moment later she crashed into him, sending them both tumbling to the ground. She came to rest on top of his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her, both of them panting. Terrified chestnut eyes met panicked blue ones, and for a moment all they could do was stare at each other, neither of them moving, as another horrifying scream filled the evening air. Common sense snapped back and Regina swiftly summoned her magic, soft purple light surrounding her and David as her spell took effect. The sounds of the jungle around them; the crickets, the leaves rustling in the wind, the dying echoes of the creature's screams… all of it suddenly vanished, leaving only the sound of their heavy breathing in the silence.

"W-what… what did you…" David stumbled over his words, still breathing harshly.

"A silence spell," Regina dropped her head, her forehead pushing against his chest as she tried to regain her breath. "You caught me," she added softly, a part of her disbelieving.

His vice-like grip upon her relaxed slightly, and she felt his thumb move gently up and down against her back in a reassuring caress.

"Are you alright?"

She lifted her head, meeting his gaze again. "Fine," she whispered, a slight smile touching her lips. He had just saved her life… again. Realising suddenly that she was still lying on top of him, she started to move. David's grip tightened around her immediately, stopping her from going anywhere.

"What is it?" she asked, growing more uncomfortable by the second. They were too close – she could feel the heat of his breath against her chin every time he exhaled.

His eyes lingered on her briefly, flickering over her features. She watched his throat move as he swallowed. "Your spell," he said after a moment, his voice sounding a little rough. "Will it still work if…"

"Just stay close to me," she said, nodding her head. "We don't have to be touching for it to work."

"Do you think that thing is coming after us?" David asked nervously, gesturing towards the sky. Regina shook her head quickly.

"It was too far away. I don't think it would have heard me fall," she caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she considered what she had seen. "It looked like it was patrolling or something. Like it was a guard."

"Could be," David nodded in agreement. "We should get going," he added.

This time, his arms slid away from her as she moved, and she shifted off of him quickly. He made it to his feet first, and offered his hand down to her to help her up. Shaking her head slightly, she accepted his hand, giving him a teasing smile.

"Ever the charming prince," she mocked.

David laughed softly, nodding his head. "Guilty," he said. His hand tightened around hers suddenly as she tried to pull it free. She glanced down at their intertwined hands, then back up at the prince. "Just in case," he said quietly. "I don't want to lose you."

_He's thinking about the spell, _Regina told herself firmly, trying quickly to stamp down the fluttering feeling in her heart. _He only needs you because he's afraid of the screams. Don't make more of this than it is. _

"Come on," she nodded her head forwards, tugging on his hand slightly to get him to fall into step beside her. "We might as well find somewhere to spend the night."

"Are we looking for anything in particular?" Charming motioned around with his free hand. "Because so far, all I've seen all day is jungle. We're not going to find anything better than right here."

Augmenting his statement, he planted his feet in the ground, bringing her to an abrupt halt. She glanced back at him in frustration, which quickly softened into sympathy as she caught sight of the weariness written across his features. He hadn't slept the previous night, she remembered suddenly. He had to be utterly exhausted.

"Very well," she said quietly, nodding her head. She lifted her free hand and the plants surrounding them bowed backwards, creating a sort of clearing. With another small flick of her fingers, she had erected a simple barrier spell around the clearing, to stop anything from stumbling into them. Finally, she waved her hand towards the ground and two sleeping bags appeared beside one another.

"There," she tugged at the hand that Charming held in his grasp and he finally released her, allowing her to remove her backpack and dig out the folded square of cloth that was her coat. She unfolded it and slipped it over her shoulders. David took the bag from her, pulling out the few bananas that they had found growing on a tree earlier and collected. He sat down heavily upon his sleeping bag, peeling one for himself. Regina tugged off her boots, opened the second sleeping bag and slid inside exhaustedly. Using her magic continuously throughout the day had taken its toll on her. She rested her head on her arm, dark eyes lifting to watch David tiredly as he munched on his dinner. He broke off a second banana from the bunch, peeled it, and handed it across to her.

"Eat," he said firmly.

Sighing, she bit into the yellow fruit, too tired to put up an argument. For a few moments there was only silence as they ate.

"So," David tossed his peel aside and began peeling a second banana for himself. "What's your favourite colour?"

Regina blinked at the random question, her nose scrunching slightly in confusion.  
"What?"

"If we're going to be friends, I think we should get to know each other," he shrugged. "So?" he prompted her.

It was an innocent enough question, Regina reasoned, though a ridiculous one. "Why does it matter? Just go to sleep Charming," she grumbled.

"Just answer the question."

She rolled her eyes. "Green."

He smiled widely, tossing his peel aside and settling down so that he was lying on his side, facing her.

"There, that wasn't so hard," he said teasingly. "Your turn."

"Favourite food?" she asked after a moment, giving in and playing along. The mindless chatter was helping to calm her shattered nerves, she grudgingly admitted. Perhaps David's game wasn't entirely pointless.

"Lasagne," Charming said promptly.

She breathed out a disbelieving laugh, her thoughts instantly flickering to the time she had unsuccessfully tried seducing him. By the mischievous glint in his eyes, he was thinking of it too. Regina shifted uncomfortably, faintly embarrassed by what she had tried that night. For a brief moment, she wondered where they would be now if she had succeeded.

"The name of your first pet?" David asked, snapping her from her thoughts and shifting the conversation to her relief.

"Daisy," Regina said, after a moment's thought. "She was a little white pony my father gave me for my fourth birthday. Temperamental little shit," she added disdainfully, causing David to laugh loudly. Her lips curled into an answering smile, and she shifted a little deeper into her sleeping bag, getting comfortable. She wished they could have had a fire, but it was safer not to risk it. "The first girl you ever slept with," Regina said, growing bolder. She was starting to enjoy the game. "And if you say Snow I might have to hit you."

"Not Snow," David chuckled softly, shaking his head. In the growing gloom, his eyes seemed a deeper, darker shade of blue. "Her name was Sara. Red hair, freckles, pretty enough," he shrugged. "Her father owned milk cows; she used to bring my mother a pail of milk every week."

"How old were you?" Regina asked curiously.

"Fifteen," David ducked his head as the brunette laughed. "She was eighteen," he lifted his head, grinning at her.

"Her first time?"

"Not at all," David laughed, shaking his head. "No, she knew exactly what she was doing."

Regina dissolved into laughter again, her body shaking with mirth as she pictured an innocent David being corrupted by a buxom red-headed milk maid.

"Just wait until I find out your embarrassing stories," David warned her, still smiling across at her in a way that she hadn't grown used to yet. It was strange having the prince smile at her with such warmth. Strange how warm it made her feel inside, knowing that someone could care enough about her to want to get to know her better. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had tried to get close to her. She watched as his eyes started slipping closed sleepily, amused by the way he tried to fight it off at first.

"I've got to think of the right question," he yawned, snuggling deeper into his sleeping bag. A moment later his eyes were closed and his breathing had slowed and Charming was fast asleep beside her.

"Sweet dreams David," she said softly, closing her own eyes.

…

As darkness fell, the Shadow took flight. He soared gracefully over the trees of the jungle, listening to the shrieks and screams of his minions as they searched through the dark for the boy. Henry… Peter had been furious when he had escaped. The Shadow wasn't worried though. Boys often tried to leave Neverland, but his Screamers always brought them back. This child would be no different.

The jungle seemed different tonight, filled with a strange sort of magic that the Shadow did not recognize. He swooped in closer to the trees, silvery moonlight guiding his path as he floated silently downwards. He could feel the magic crackling around him, the natural magic of Neverland, and another source – powerful. Was this the one his master was seeking?

Cautious now, he dipped between the trees, darkness consuming him as he followed the trail. The whispers of the strange magic were everywhere, scattered through the jungle. He hovered above the ground, his head turning slowly as he attempted to locate the source. He moved forwards, a dark hand reaching out to one of the trees, feeling the quiet hum of magic still clinging to it. It felt different to how he had expected it would. Peter had warned him the magic would be dark and consuming, but this magic felt light somehow, as pure a force as the natural magic within the air around him. He stiffened suddenly, his hand dropping away from the tree as a stronger hum of magic flickered through the tree behind him. Slowly he turned, floating towards it after a moment's consideration. He dared not risk being caught, but neither could he return to Peter without answers. He paused in front of the tree, his head tilting back as he stared up into the branches. The leaves rustled ominously, and a moment later a furry creature scurried down the trunk to one of the lower boughs, magic crackling around it like static energy. More confused than ever, the Shadow floated up to it, staring at the little squirrel as it chattered frantically at him.

He held out a shadowy hand, and the creature scampered onto his palm, still shrilly chirping at him. The squirrel let out a squeak as his fingers curled around it, clutching it tightly. It was time to return to the fortress.

Peter needed to hear about this.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_**A/N: Typed this out whilst I was supposed to be studying, lol. Special thanks to Keyhlan, t3arsOfglass, Natali Rempel Drews, katie and SouthforWinter for the reviews. The continued support is great! **_

His footsteps were loud against the flagstone floor as he paced up and down before his throne, his features pulled into an angry glare. The grand hall was dark and empty, the few lit torches set in scones along the wall doing nothing to ward away the gloom, in fact they only seemed to enhance it. Silent and knowing, his shadow hovered in the depths of the darkness, his eyeless face watching him as he walked up and down the breadth of the hall. Pointedly ignoring his shadowy observer, Peter Pan cast a furious glare towards the doorway for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past ten minutes, his scowl only deepening when he found it still empty.

"What is taking them?" he snarled, not expecting an answer.

Things were not going as he had planned. The boy had escaped and now, several hours into the night, his Screamers still had failed to find him. And now to top it off, his shadow had discovered a strange magic in the forest. It had to be the one he had been waiting for, who else could it be? Who else's power could be formidable enough to unnerve his shadow?

_All wrong, this is happening all wrong, _he thought in frustration. _I need the boy here with me or everything will fall apart. _

He was toying with a dangerous enemy, he knew, one misstep and he was doomed. He had to be careful.

"I was careful," he muttered to himself in frustration. He had been planning this for years. His every step had been calculated, his every move had been deliberate. And now it was all about to unravel because one foolish boy had gotten it into his head to escape.

"I should have kept him locked in the dungeons," Pan growled. This, it seemed, was the price of kindness.

"You summoned us?" a voice from the doorway called, and Peter lifted his head, relief and anger flooding him as he spied several of his Lost Boys walking towards him.

"What took you Jake?" he demanded of the boy who had spoken.

"I apologize," Jake said sincerely, walking closer. "I had to wake several of the other boys." He gestured to one of the windows as he spoke, where the sky outside was still pitch black. "What do you need Peter?"

"There is a magic user in my forest."

There was a murmur of excitement from the boys standing in the hall. Jake's eyes glimmered with eagerness.

"Is it the one we've been waiting for?"

"It might be," Peter nodded his head. "I want you to send a few groups into the forest, have them tip their weapons with ink to be safe. If they find anything, they're to bring it back to me immediately."

"As you say," Jake nodded. "We'll set off right away." He turned to the other boys, motioning with his hand for them to move out. Peter watched the group of them leave, before turning to face his shadow. The figure moved towards him silently, until it hovered in the air before him, a void in space shaped in his own likeness.

"Have your Screamers found the boy?"

_Not yet,_ the shadow responded, the whisper of Peter's own voice filling his head. His blue eyes narrowed.

"Go back out there then. And do not return to me unless you have Henry with you!"

…

As the sky above him began to shift from indigo to blue, Henry finally pulled his hands away from his ears, relief flooding through him as no sounds of terrifying screaming filled the air around him. It had stopped. They had stopped looking for him. He had survived the night. And what a night it had been. Henry couldn't remember ever feeling as cold, as tired, as hungry and above all, as petrified as he had the night before. He had tried, desperately, to keep running through the forest, to ignore his fear and the screams floating through the jungle around him. But eventually he had simply collapsed to the ground, curled into a ball, pressed his hands over his ears and prayed for morning.

It had been the longest night of his life. And all through it, he had found himself wishing for his mother, wishing he would wake to find her leaning over him, dark curls sleep tousled, dark eyes gentle and reassuring. She would tell him this was all a nightmare, and then she would make him a cup of hot chocolate and let him sleep the rest of the night in her bed. Henry closed his eyes, tears leaking down his cheeks. He missed her with every fibre of his being.

He had to get up, he knew that, but he found he couldn't bring himself to move. His legs were stiff and it hurt when he tried to stretch them, and he was so, so tired.

_Just a little while longer, _he told himself, closing his eyes. He placed one hand under his head as a make-shift cushion. An hour at most, he decided. Just until the sun was fully up in the sky. He just needed an hour to sleep and then he would start figuring out how to get off this island.

…

As the first shards of sunlight filtered in through the trees overhead, David found himself lying awake, silently watching the slumbering brunette beside him. She was curled onto her side, facing him, one hand beneath her head and the other curled up next to her. Her features were softly lit by the golden light and without make-up she suddenly seemed so much younger. And exquisite. He had grown all too aware of just how beautiful she was, and now it plagued him constantly. His thoughts flickered back to the previous night, when she had fallen out of the tree and he had caught her in his arms. For a few moments he hadn't been able to let her go.

_She's your only hope of finding Henry, that's why you're afraid to lose her, _he silently told himself, not believing it for a second. There was something else and he knew it. The more she let him in, the closer he wanted to get to her. She breathed in deeply, stirring awake, and he quickly pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind. Her dark eyes opened, a soft smile touching her lips as her gaze settled onto him.

"Morning," she murmured, yawning.

"Morning," he smiled back, not at all ready to get up. He could have quite happily stayed there, watching her for a while longer yet. "How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Terribly," she replied, shaking her head slightly. "Tomorrow night remind me to conjure us each a bed. Sleeping bags were a ridiculous idea."

"While you're at it, perhaps you can conjure us up a hotel too," David teased her. "I could do with some room service and a shower."

Regina scrunched her nose, laughing softly. "We should probably find somewhere to clean up," she said, sitting up. David followed suit, standing quickly so that he could offer her a hand to help her to her feet. She arched a brow in amusement, but took it, allowing him to pull her up. He let his hand linger on hers, her hand small and delicate beneath his calloused fingers, before forcing himself to let her go.

"I don't know," he teased, his blue eyes flickering over her face. "Dirt looks good on you." He reached out, brushing a small smudge away from her cheek. She lifted her hand up self-consciously, rubbing at the spot as David pulled his hand away.

_Damn it David, _he thought, _you've got to stop trying to find ways to touch her. _

"That's it," she declared with a smile, oblivious to the internal war he was waging with himself. "We're finding water."

She turned around, waving her hand in a delicate movement. Their sleeping bags disappeared in two small puffs of smoke. David had the oddest sensation of his ears popping, and suddenly he could hear the sounds of the jungle around them again. Numerous brightly coloured birds were sitting in the branches of the trees above their heads, chattering loudly amongst each other. David hadn't even noticed them until that moment.

"Woah," he shook his head. "That was weird." He spotted the leather satchel on the ground and stooped to pick it up. Regina held out her hand to take it but he shook his head, slinging it over his shoulder. As heavy as the damn thing was, he couldn't believe he had let Regina carry it the entire day before.

"Let me put my coat back in at least," she said, slipping it off of her shoulders. He watched with interest as she used a spell to fold it up again, until it was nothing but a square of fabric in her palm. She walked up behind him, opened the backpack and dropped it inside.

"There," she smiled up at him brightly. "Now come on, let's go."

"Do you even know where water is?" he asked, falling into step beside her. She nodded her head, pointing.

"That direction."

"How do you know?"

She gestured downwards, indicating the dirt they were walking upon. "It's a trail," she said. "The kind commonly made by animals when they're heading towards water."

David glanced down and up again, suddenly noticing the threadlike trail weaving its way through the overgrowth. Regina smiled as he nodded his head, lifting her hand and casting her plant-bowing spell to ease the path ahead of them. For several minutes they walked side by side in silence and David lost himself in thought again. He wondered how Emma and Snow had managed the night. He hoped that they were still safe. He hoped that they were still together. With any luck, the rest of the group hadn't become separated and it was just him who had fallen behind.

_Typical really, _he thought.

Since he and Snow had first met it seemed all they were ever doing was losing and finding each other over and over again in a futile, never-ending cycle. Sometimes it almost felt as though the Universe was doing its best to keep them apart.

"Hah!" Regina made a triumphant little noise and he lifted his head, first glancing at her and then following the direction of her gaze towards a slender stream of clear water a few feet away. "Found it," she said happily.

He stood still, watching her as she walked towards the stream, crouching down in the long grass that shadowed it and scooping up some of the clear water onto her face. She sighed happily, running a damp hand behind her neck, before running her fingers backwards through her tousled brown hair. The humidity had exaggerated the natural curl of it, creating lazy ringlets amidst her dark hair.

She seemed so much happier than he had seen her look before, and he had a feeling that he was responsible. She had to have been lonely, these past few months, living alone and in a town that despised and feared her in equal measure. She needed a friend, he decided with conviction, she needed someone to keep bringing the light within her to the surface. Perhaps if enough people saw that light, they would start to realise that she was something more than simply the evil queen.

She turned her head to face him, tilting her head slightly. "Aren't you coming?"

_You have to stop staring at her, _he told himself, as he forced his legs to move towards her. _Look somewhere else. _His blue eyes shifted around briefly and in that moment something dark against the skyline caught his attention.

"What the…?" he stopped suddenly, his eyes widening as he realised that what he was staring at was three children flying through the air.

"Those must be Lost Boys," Regina murmured, her voice suddenly closer. David's head snapped back down as she walked back to his side.

_Lost teenagers more like, _David thought, as the three boys settled lightly onto the bank at the opposite side of the stream. Two of them were armed with swords, the third, a crossbow.

As they landed, Regina stiffened, lifting her hand palm up in front of her. A ball of purple light suffused her palm.

"Wait," David grabbed her wrist and she half turned towards him, glancing up at him with startled brown eyes. "Let's just talk to them," he suggested. "Maybe…" his next words were lost as the kid with the crossbow suddenly let his bolt fly. It flew through the air, straight towards Regina, who didn't even see it coming. She gasped in pain as it struck her side, eyes which had still been staring into his widening in surprise and pain. David's eyes flickered down to the wooden shaft protruding from her side, noting in confusion the sticky black liquid that was dripping down its length.

_Mermaid's ink, _he thought, identifying the substance.

It had taken a moment for him to recognize it, and in that moment all hell had broken loose. Regina crumpled to the ground, a scream ripping past her lips. Her body began to thrash and she screamed again and again, her face contorted with pain. Her hands clawed at the ground beneath her, her back arching as she writhed in agony. On the other side of the stream, the three boys gave a shout of triumph and rushed towards her.

"For Peter!" one yelled.

Forcing himself to turn away from Regina, David met the first kid head on as he charged. He dodged the boy's clumsy sword thrust, roughly grabbed the hand that was holding the pommel of the blade and used the other hand to deliver a hard punch to the boy's head. The boy dropped like a stone, unconscious before he had hit the ground. Sword now in hand, David turned towards the second kid armed with a blade. There was a clang of metal against metal, loud in the sudden silence left in the wake of Regina's screams. David could only hope that her silence meant she was okay. He parried two more blows, then delivered a hard blow of his own that sent the boy stumbling backwards. Quickly he stepped forwards, changing his grip on the blade and using the pommel to hit the kid's temple, knocking him out too. He turned to find the last boy standing in the middle of the river, fumbling to load his next crossbow bolt.

David stole a brief glance back to Regina, finding her still thrashing silently on the ground, her body in the midst of a seizure. Fury consuming him, he strode towards the child standing in the stream.

"What did you do to her?" he snarled, barely recognizing his own voice. The boy looked up quickly, wide brown eyes tracking David's progress towards him. Fear stole across his features and he suddenly turned tail, abandoning his efforts to reload his crossbow and running in the opposite direction. David growled in anger as he watched the kid disappear from sight, before turning on his heel and rushing back towards Regina. She had stopped thrashing, and now lay absolutely still. He dropped to his knees at her side, reaching out to cup her cheek in his hand.

"Regina? Regina wake up! Talk to me!"

Dark chestnut eyes flickered weakly and he sagged, relief rushing through him.

"David?" her voice was hoarse from screaming. He watched as panic filled her eyes and he felt his stomach drop with fear. "Something's wrong," she whispered. "I can't reach it. I can't… I can't…"

"What, what is it?" he asked, his thumb stroking her cheek reassuringly. He glanced over the wound at in her side, noting the depth of the crossbow shaft.

_It must have just missed her lung, _he thought in relief.

Regina made a tiny noise that sounded like a whimper, and David turned back to stare into her eyes.

Eyes which were now flooded with tears.

"My magic…" she whispered. "It's gone."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_**A/N: So the way I left the previous chapter was pretty mean I know, and unfortunately the end of this one isn't much better, but I decided to update this now rather than later just to put some of your minds at ease. **_

_**As always thank you to SouthforWinter, Anny Rodrigues, Grace de Gold, Keyhlan, t3arsOfglass and Natali Rempel Drews for your reviews.:) **_

David slid the edge of his blade into wound in her side, carefully widening the edges so that he could pull the crossbow bolt out cleanly. Regina turned her head to the side, clenching her teeth as she tried not to cry out at the pain. In comparison to what she had just gone through though, the small cut seemed like a walk in the park. She'd had no idea that being poisoned with mermaid's ink could inflict so much pain upon a person. As far as she'd ever known, the ink was only ever used externally to trap magic. Using it in this way was barbaric.

"Are you okay?" David asked, pulling his sword away and dabbing at her wound with the edge of his shirt. Regina tried not to flinch.

"I'm fine," she managed, trying to keep her voice steady. "Just do it."

She felt his hand reach for hers and after a moment's hesitation, she took it.

"Squeeze tight," David advised. She closed her eyes and nodded. She heard him inhale steadily, and then she felt the bolt in her side shift as he took it in hand, carefully pulling it out. Her fingers curled reflexively around his hand, the only visible sign she permitted herself to give of her pain.

"There," he said, pulling it free, and Regina exhaled slowly in relief. She opened her eyes, allowing herself to glance back at the prince. He was examining the bolt carefully, tracing a finger through the ink still clinging to the wooden shaft. Regina swallowed, her stomach twisting uneasily as she stared at the black liquid. She could still feel it inside of her, feel the warning sting of pain it delivered her every time she tried to reach her magic. David's eyes lifted, catching the expression on her face, and he tossed the bolt aside.

"It's going to be okay," he reached out, touching her arm gently. "We're going to fix this."

"What if I'm stuck this way forever?" she whispered, tears pricking her eyes as she lent a voice to her greatest fear. She couldn't lose her magic. She just couldn't.

"That's not going to happen," he said. "I promise. Now come on, let me bandage this thing up."

"Bandage?" Regina said shakily, clearing her throat subtly. She watched David as he rose to his feet, unsurprised when he offered her his hand. She took it, and he immediately leaned down, using his other hand to hold her upper arm, offering her extra support as he helped her to her feet.

"I'm perfectly capable of standing on my own Charming," she snapped, even as she swayed into him. He caught her easily, sliding an arm around her waist to support her as he led her towards the river.

"Uh-huh," he murmured, seemingly unaffected by the ice in her tone. "Come on, we need to get out of here before those kids wake up," he said.

Regina took a few steps, testing her balance, before disentangling herself from Charming's grip, giving him a firm look when he opened his mouth to protest. She would not be treated like some fragile little bird. She made it to the edge of the stream, crouched down and tugged up her shirt to reveal the ragged wound running along the bottom edge of her ribcage. She scooped up some of the cold water, wincing as she tried to flush out the cut. There was a rip of material as David tore off a strip from the bottom of his shirt, and Regina suddenly understood what he meant to use as a bandage. She watched him suspiciously as he attempted to wash the dirty material in the stream.

"Good enough," he said after a moment. "Stand up."

Sighing, she did as she bid, lifting her arms as he wound the damp strip of material around her waist. He wrapped it around twice, tying it off at the end.

"We should go," Regina said, pulling down her shirt into place again.

"Give me a second," David said, jogging back to where they had been. He picked up his sword and began to walk back to her, stooping to pick up the second sword from the ground beside its unconscious owner. Regina gave him a curious look as he held it out to her.

"Do you know how to use this?" he asked.

She nodded her head, her fingers curling around the leather pommel.

"One of the soldiers at the palace gave me lessons," she murmured, shifting her grip subtly on the sword. That had been when Leopold was still alive, before her lessons with Rumplestiltskin had taught her to defend herself. She had taken the lessons a few weeks before her first escape attempt. She'd only managed to get a day away from the palace before Leopold's men had caught up to her, and dragged her back to the castle. Not that it had stopped her from trying again. And again, and again. By the time her skills with magic had reached a level where she could protect herself, she had stopped trying to escape Leopold and started trying to figure out ways to kill the bastard instead. She had abandoned her sword lessons after that, certain she would never need them again. It seemed she had been mistaken.

"Can you remember which direction we needed to go?" David asked, as she turned and crossed the shallow stream, heading into the jungle on the opposite side. Regina shook her head.

"I needed my magic for that. But we were headed away from the sun yesterday right?" she asked and he nodded. "We should continue that way then," she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

…

Emma opened her eyes slowly to the sound of her name, finding herself lying face-first on dusty, rocky ground. She tilted her head upwards, dust falling from her blonde hair as she did, causing her to cough. She was in a cave it seemed, judging by the rock that surrounded her on all sides. All around her was gloomy darkness, punctuated by the light of what seemed to be several dozen rather large fireflies floating through the air in the cave. She blinked in confusion, wondering how it was possible for fireflies to be such bright and diverse colours.

"Emma?" the voice that had roused her called again. "Wake up princess."

"Hook?" she mumbled confusedly, looking around for the source of the noise. He didn't sound happy.

"Up here," he growled, and she tilted her head backwards, her mouth forming an 'o' of surprise as she spotted a circular hole through the roof, leading into what seemed like an upper level of the cave.

"W-what… what happened? How did I get here?" she asked, pushing herself to her feet quickly and instantly regretting it. Her muscles screamed in protest from the sudden movement, her ankle in particular giving a stab of pain as her weight settled upon it. She had twisted it, it seemed.

"Why don't you ask your friends that?" Hook asked, his expression murderous as he gestured to the coloured creatures floating in the air around her. Emma blinked in confusion, turning her head to glance at the floating lights again.

"Oh…" she gasped, realising suddenly what they were. Memories of the previous day flooded her mind, and she slapped her hand against her face. "What the hell did that thing do to me?" she mumbled against her palm, as memories of clambering down into this cave resurfaced. The fairy had led her down into the darkness, and had sent her stumbling straight through the hole that Killian was currently staring down at her through.

"That's what fairies do," Hook sighed. "They get inside your head and make you lose track of your senses. In the future, try not to listen to the little bastards would you love?"

"Aren't you going to come down and help me?" Emma asked, folding her arms over her chest. The pirate gave her an incredulous look.

"What good would that do? Then we both would be stuck. Look, you're going to have to see if there's another way out from down there."

Emma turned her head, examining the cavern she had fallen inside carefully. Her eyes had become accustomed to the gloom, and now she could make out the rocky walls that surrounded her, and the heavy stalactites hanging from the rooftop overhead. Upon closer inspection, each of the hanging rocks seemed to have been carefully carved into, forming little hollows and openings into each of them. Emma watched as a fairy floated inside one of the hollow stalactites and she suddenly clicked on what it was.

"It's like a hanging fairy city," she murmured. "They live down here."

"Found a way out yet?" Killian called. Emma shot him an annoyed glance before carefully moving forwards, favouring her injured ankle. There didn't seem to be another way out.

_I should have realised what that fairy was up to_, Emma thought miserably, as a bright blue one whizzed over her head, giggling gleefully. In the stories, the fairies were Peter Pan's friends. And if in this world Peter Pan was evil, of course the fairies wouldn't be up to any good either.

"Don't fairies have fairy dust?" Emma asked, tilting her head to gaze back up at Hook. "Couldn't I use some to fly back up there?"

"Good luck getting some," the pirate snorted. "The fairies here only give their dust to children."

Emma reached out her hand as a magenta coloured one swooped past her, trying futilely to catch it. She grimaced as the fairy easily evaded her, hooting at her as if it was some sort of fun game.

"You're going to have to find help," she said desperately, turning back to him. "And food. Food first. You're going to have to find food and help."

Hook sighed heavily, craning his head down to look around upside down into the cavern she was trapped in. "There's really no way out? You're sure?"

"You're wasting time," Emma accused him. He lifted his head again, looking defeated.

"I was afraid it was going to come down to this," he sighed. "Very well princess. I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't go anywhere," he teased.

"Ha ha," Emma deadpanned, un-amused, as she sat herself down on the rocky floor to wait.

…

It was getting harder to breathe. Regina felt her chest rising and falling irregularly with each shallow breath she took. She clenched her hands into fists and gritted her teeth, and forced herself to keep walking. The wound in her side still stung viscously as she moved. But that pain was nothing compared to the pain she had felt as she had been hit by the bolt in the first place, or the pain that wracked her every time she tried to reach her magic.

She had managed to find it, and she could feel it now, the power locked deep within her. But each time she tried to draw on it, she felt a pain so acute it seemed as though the blood in her veins had been replaced with acid.

She felt helpless, a feeling she abhorred above all others. She had felt this way when the curse had first broken, and after getting her magic back she had vowed to never lose it again. She tightened her grip on the pommel of the sword David had handed her hours earlier, wondering what the point of carrying it was. She wasn't even sure she had the strength to use it should the time come for that.

"Are you okay?" David asked, again. She nodded her head slightly, not slowing her pace. She could feel the prince's anxious blue gaze upon her, but she refused to acknowledge it. If she stopped, she wasn't sure she would be able to start walking again.

"Let's just keep going," she muttered, reaching out to push an errant fern frond from her path. She could only hope they were still headed in the right direction. Without her magic, Ben's memories were lost to her.

_Away from the sun, _she told herself. _We were walking away from the sun yesterday. _She had to keep reminding herself. Her head was starting to feel fuzzy, her thoughts floating messily into one another.

"We should slow down, you don't look well."

"We have to find Henry."

They couldn't slow down, not while her son was out there somewhere waiting for her. Not while her chest was tightening and her every breath was getting harder and harder to take.

The ink was doing more than trapping her magic – it was making her sick.

_Just keep walking. Just don't stop. Keep walking._

"Just take a little break," David begged. "Just a few minutes. Let me check that bandage."

She didn't need to check the bandage to know that it was undoubtedly doing more harm than good. As dirty as David's shirt had been, it was probably going to end up giving her an infection. Not that it mattered really. At the rate she was deteriorating, she was starting to doubt that she would be seeing the next turned her dark eyes to the sky, surprised to find it painted in vivid streaks of pink and orange. Sunset again. An entire day had passed. She hadn't even realised just how long they had been walking.

"Regina," David's hand grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop. She swayed on her feet, her legs suddenly feeling numb. She lifted her head to him, his features swimming in her vision. When had everything become so blurred? "Shit," Charming whispered, reaching out to touch her face. "You're burning up. Come on, sit down."

To weak to protest, she allowed him to help her to the ground, dropping her sword carelessly, her head tilting back as she struggled for air.

"I think…" she whispered reluctantly. "I think you're going to have to go on without me."

"Not a chance," he said immediately, his voice fervent. "If you think I'm going to leave you here…"

"David," she shook her head, struggling to hold his gaze. "I don't think I'm going to make it much longer."

"You're fine. You're going to be fine. You just need to rest," he said stubbornly. "We've been walking for hours. You're just tired."

She shook her head. "How about we promise not to lie to each other, okay? Friends don't lie right?"

David nodded slowly, frustration and fear written across his features. "Okay no lies. You're not fine," he said slowly. "But I'm still not leaving you. We're going to find a way to help you, do you hear me? There is always a way."

There was always a way for people like Snow, Regina silently amended. People like her didn't catch lucky breaks. People like her didn't get saved by Prince Charming and get to live happily ever after.

"It's going to be dark soon," Regina said desperately. "Those things are going to come out again, and I don't have magic to protect us this time. David you have to go."

"And how exactly is abandoning you going to help keep those creatures at bay?" David demanded, his voice rising in anger. "I'm not leaving you Regina."

"It's not a co-incidence that those kid's weapons were covered in Mermaid's Ink. It's not a co-incidence that they attacked me first."

"You think they're after you?"

"I think they're after anyone with magic," Regina said quietly. "And since I'll probably be dead by morning I think it makes sense to let them have me. If you leave me now, you can get away. You can still save Henry. _Please,_" she begged, reaching out to take hold of his wrist. He shifted his arm, moving his hand so that it covered hers. His fingers curled around her palm tightly.

"Do you really think I could ever face Henry again if I left you here?" he asked her quietly.

"David…" she trailed his name in frustration, a tear slipping down her cheek as she fought for a way to convince him to leave her. The weight upon her chest seemed to tighten and she leaned forwards, gasping for air.

"Its okay, it's okay," David said, leaning over her worriedly. "Just breathe okay? In and out. Come on. In and out. It's going to be okay."

His words helped to calm her slightly, and her breathing slowed in time to his voice. She felt him move around her, sitting behind her and pulling her backwards so that her back rested against his chest. Her head fell to his shoulder weakly.

"You've got to hold on," David told her, stroking a sweat-dampened lock of hair from her cheek.

"You can't ask me that," Regina panted, shaking her head slightly.

"Yes I can," he growled. "We're going to figure this out. You just have to hold on damn it."

Her dark eyes lifted, tracing the ever darkening sky, noting the shadowy gloom that was starting to fill the jungle. He had to leave her. He had to leave before those screamers came.

"We're not going to figure anything out here," she pointed out breathlessly. "If you want to save me, you're going to have to find help. You're going to have to leave me."

She could practically feel the indecision radiating from him. He sat tense and silent behind her for a moment, all the while she struggled to breathe through lungs that no longer wanted to co-operate with her. After a long moment, he shifted suddenly, but the brief moment of relief she felt quickly disappeared as he slid one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back, scooping her up into his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck automatically, her head now cradled between his neck and his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she breathed out, as he began walking forwards. "You're being an idiot. You can't carry me."

"Of course I can," David responded. "You hardly weigh anything. Now shut up and concentrate on breathing okay?"

"This is stupid. There's no point in trying to save me."

"Stop talking Regina," David said, his eyes now scanning the gloomy jungle around them. She could see the hopelessness in his gaze, along with that Prince Charming stubbornness that refused to allow him to let her die. She closed her eyes, her lips parted as she breathed in and out through her mouth, trying to keep herself calm, listening only to the heavy sounds of his footsteps as he carried her through the jungle.

If someone had told her to picture the way she would die, she would never have imagined it like this.

A low, echoing wail pierced through the evening stillness, and Regina's eyes flew open, her raspy breathing growing louder with panic. David's blue eyes dropped to hers, equally fear filled. Still he somehow managed to push past his terror, keeping his voice calm as he reassured her.

"Listen to my voice, not them. I want you to keep breathing. In and out," he said, repeating his mantra from before.

Another scream filled the night, then another, and Regina found herself pushing her head into the crook of Charming's neck, struggling desperately to hold on. She heard David curse quietly and suddenly he was lowering her to the ground.

"Keep your eyes closed," he ordered her. "And don't you dare stop breathing."

It was so much harder to breathe lying down. Her chest heaved, her breath coming out in short, ragged pants. She lifted her head weakly, her heart nearly giving out completely at the sight before her. David stood before four of the screamers, the robed shadows hovering in the air before him, their eyeless heads each staring past him, their gaze directed straight at her. She watched as the prince wrested his sword free from where he had secured it beneath his belt, her eyes fluttering weakly as she fought to hold on.

She had to do something. He was going to die if she didn't do something. She watched as he lunged through the air, his sword swinging towards one of the creatures, only to slide right through it as harmlessly as it would through smoke. The screamer turned towards him, reaching a shadowy hand out and flinging him effortlessly into a tree. He grunted in pain as he collided, pushing himself back to his feet and rushing back towards them as they slowly floated towards her.

_You have to do something,_ she thought, her mind swimming. The sword wasn't going to work. He needed magic. Closing her eyes, Regina struggled to find the power locked within her. She reached out towards it, heedless of the pain that flooded her as she summoned it. Distantly, she could hear the sounds of her breathless screams as white-hot pain consumed her body. She ignored the pain, ignored everything, concentrating only on her magic. She opened her eyes as a ball of purple light formed in her palm, too weak to scream anymore as the skin on her hand began to blister and burn in response to the ink still in her system. With the last of her energy, she sent her magic flying towards the screamers. Her head dropped back to the ground, her eyes slipping shut in exhaustion. She didn't see the purple light that swept through the forest, turning the shadows into dust, but she could hear their dying screams as they faded away. The pain subsided as she released her hold on her magic, and she felt her mind slip as she began to let go.

_You promised David you would hold on_, a voice inside her head reminded her.

Fighting against the pull of eternal rest, she opened her eyes once more. The world around her blurred, then came into semi-focus, revealing a figure crouching over her.

Not David.

His face was painted with red and white tribal markings, his long black hair falling in a braid over his shoulder as he leaned in to examine her.

Distantly, she heard David's voice yell. "Get the hell away from her!"

_Safe, _she thought weakly, his voice enough to reassure her. If David was there she was safe. Her eyes slipped closed again and she fell away into unconsciousness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_**A/N: Whew, it's been a rough week. Finished my last semester tests and I'm going into exams next week so it's been super stressful. Hoping to still try and update regularly though, so hold thumbs :). Huge thank you to Natali Rempel Drews, Keyhlan, Anny Rodrigues, PrincessMiss, onlywithlove, t3ars0fglass, Andrea-W-M, PrincessofSea, Grace de Gold and Supabec for reviewing! I cannot tell you how amazing your guy's responses are and just how much they inspire me to keep writing!**_

Killian held his breath as the first Screamer of the night filled the air with the violent sound of its shrieking. His eyes fell closed, his body rigid as a board as the fear consumed him, freezing him to the spot. By the time its cries had died to echoes, he was moving again, swiftly turning back the way he had come. After finding Emma something to eat that morning he had left her in the cave and gone in search of help. Now, hours later, with darkness steadily stealing over Neverland, he forced himself to accept defeat and head back. He should have turned around long ago, he silently berated himself, knowing that it would be hours at the least before he found the cave again. He honestly had no idea what to do with Emma though. He couldn't just leave her to die down there in the cave, his conscience wouldn't allow for it. As stubborn and annoying as the blonde was, he didn't want to see her dead. But finding help in this never ending jungle seemed a slim hope. He was more likely to run into a Lost Boy and then where would they be? Another scream filled the night air and he cursed, stumbling slightly in his fear.

_They're not after you, _he told himself firmly, trying futilely to reassure himself. He clenched the fingers of his hand closed tightly, wishing he was back on his ship. After this mess was over, he was going to sail away, he decided. He would find himself a new crew and settle back into the life he loved. No more revenge quests, no more making alliances with sociopaths and certainly no more heroic acts to save kidnapped children.

"Captain Hook?"

The soft, tremulous voice stopped him in his tracks, and he spun around, blue eyes warily scanning the overgrowth of trees and creeper and ferns surrounding him. Long seconds passed, long enough that he found himself questioning whether or not he was starting to lose track of his senses, before a small figure stepped out from behind one of the trees.

His hair was dirty and dishevelled, his cheeks were covered in scratches and mud, his hazel eyes were round with terror… but it was him. Impossibly, it was him.

"Henry?" Hook asked, confused.

Whimpering, Henry ran towards him, throwing his arms around him and hugging him. Killian lifted his hands in the air, stunned, as the boy held onto him tightly. He was shaking like a leaf.

"It's alright lad," slowly he dropped his arms, hugging him back. If the kid was seeking comfort from _him_ of all people, then he had to be in pretty rough shape. "I've got you. It's going to be okay." His hand found Henry's head, stroking his dirty hair back before gently tilting his head upwards so that he could meet the boy's frightened gaze. "How about we get you back to your mom? I'm sure she's pretty anxious to see you."

"My mom's here?" Henry's voice rose in excitement, his eyes growing wide. "She came with you? Where is she? Who else is here? How long have you been here?"

Killian laughed softly. "Slow down, lad. One question at a time." He slid his arm around Henry's shoulder, turning them around so that they were walking in the right direction and giving the boy a reassuring squeeze as another distant cry filled the night.

…

He held the brunette close against him as he followed the stranger through the dark jungle. She was unconscious, her head resting weakly against his shoulder, dark brown curls hiding her face from view whenever he glanced down at her. He could hear her breathing, each inhale a struggle that wracked her body, each exhale a soft pant of air against his neck that seemed less and less in volume with each passing minute.

"Not too far now," his guide said reassuringly, half turning towards him. In the little light there was, David could see almost nothing of his face, but the sound of his voice was still surprisingly young. The man's height and the coloured paint covering his features made him seem older than he really was. "Grandmother will know how to help her," the stranger assured him, before turning around once more and continuing onwards.

"Hold on for me," David whispered, dipping his head to softly kiss the top of Regina's, inhaling her delicate scent as he did. "Keep breathing."

She didn't stir, but he had given up hope of her waking up. She needed help in order for that to happen. Whatever strength she had used to summon her magic again, it had been the last of it.

A distant shriek pierced the night air and he shuddered, his grip around her tightening.

"They're still far away," his guide said, the cheerful quality of his voice lost behind a slight tremor of fear. It seemed even those who had grown up in this land were not immune to the effects of those screams, David noted. _They won't take you_, he silently vowed, his blue eyes dropping to the woman he cradled against him. _I won't let them._

The muscles along his back still ached from the force with which the creature had sent him flying back into that tree. He hadn't imagined that shadows could be so powerful. He didn't know what those creatures could want with Regina, but he wasn't going to let them get anywhere near her.

Flickering orange light spilled across the ground ahead of him and David lifted his head in surprise, blinking as he stared at the torch scone set into the ground before him. The trees ahead thinned out, and suddenly there were lit torches scattered everywhere.

"Home," the boy ahead of him sighed happily, gesturing towards the tops of the trees surrounding them. David lifted his head, sucking in a breath of surprise at the sight that greeted him. The entire village was built within the trees. Each tree supported a single house and each house was connected by wooden walkways. At the centre of the strange, tree top village, built in a circle around the trunk of a particularly large tree, was a wide platform where several dozen tribe members were congregated, talking animatedly – a meeting place, David supposed.

"You should see this," he whispered to Regina. "This place is incredible."

"Come," the boy nodded towards one of the trees. "My grandmother will know what to do."

"Cheauka!" a girl suddenly appeared out of one of the tree houses, leaning over the rope railing of the walkway above their heads as she addressed the young man that had led David through the jungle. "Where have you been?"

"Hunting," the boy held up his empty hands, shrugging sheepishly at his lack of success, before gesturing towards David and Regina. "But look, I bring guests."

"She needs the healer," the girl said, staring down at Regina.

"I'm taking her now," Cheauka nodded. He turned to David, gesturing to the nearest tree trunk. Looking closely, he could see several pieces of wood attached to the bark of the trunk, forming a rough ladder up the tree. "Do you need help carrying her?" he asked, stepping closer. David shook his head, quickly, carefully ignoring the strange, panicked feeling that he got at the thought of losing hold of the woman in his arms. He shifted his grip on her, freeing up one hand as best he could before carefully starting up the ladder. He climbed slowly, carefully placing his feet as he stepped up, knowing all too well that if he fell it could have grievous consequences for Regina. He wasn't sure how much more battering her body could take. He reached the opening to the tree house and clambered up, blue eyes curiously flickering about the interior. There was a fire in the centre of the small room, and an opening in the roof above it to allow the smoke to pass through. Shelves lined the walls, cluttered with piles of dried plants and bowls and jars of various pastes and liquids. Several grey pelts lined the rough wooden planks on the floor. It was on one of these pelts that an old woman sat, small and wizened, with white hair and a nut brown, wrinkled face. Several intricate white patterns had been painted onto the skin of her left cheek. She was watching him curiously, with eyes as dark as ebony, her wrinkled hands slowly working at crushing several dark green leaves within a mortar and pestle.

"Nekoma," Cheauka had reached the top of the ladder and he greeted the woman sitting inside cheerfully as he walked deeper into the room. David watched as he leaned down, kissing the old woman's cheek affectionately.

"You have brought me someone to heal," the woman said softly. She clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Well, bring her closer," she said, nodding at David. Hesitantly he moved towards her, lowering himself down to his knees and settling Regina down onto the fur pelt just in front of the woman.

"Can you help her?"

She leaned forwards, humming to herself thoughtfully as she examined Regina. Quick brown fingers lifted her black tank top, pulling it upwards and exposing the rough bandage David had tied around her waist hours before. Shaking her head and muttering softly, the old woman pulled it off. David felt the breath escape his lungs in a hiss of surprise as he stared at the wound. The blood vessels surrounding it had turned black, and had started to radiate outwards beneath her pale skin in a fine, dark spider's web of veins.

"What did this?" the old lady gestured towards the wound.

"A crossbow," David answered. "It was tipped with mermaid's ink."

"Mermaid's ink?" the woman gave him a sharp look, black eyes narrowing at him. "No. No, ink does not do this."

"I saw it myself," David insisted.

"Does she have magic?"

He nodded his head.

"Ink does not cause sickness. It causes pain at first, lots of pain, and once the pain has stopped, a person's magic is gone. But that is it. It does no more than that."

"She was in pain when she was struck," David nodded his head quickly. "And then the pain went away and she couldn't use her magic. And then after a while she started to get sick."

"She used magic against the Screamers," Cheauku spoke up, from where he had settled himself onto the floor beside the fire. "Powerful magic Nekoma," he told his grandmother. "It killed the Screamers."

David reached down, taking Regina's hand into his. Her chest was heaving with each struggling breath she took. He wasn't sure how much longer her body was going to be able to cope.

"Can you help her?" he repeated, frustration and fear leaking into his tone. "This is ink, I promise you. I pulled the bolt out myself. I know what mermaid's ink looks like. I don't know, maybe this ink was different somehow but…"

"It's not the ink…" the woman cut across him softly. Her eyes were on Regina now, her white brows knitted with thought. "The ink isn't different," she said. "_She _is. Her magic is different," she whispered the last words, shaking her head slowly. "That's why she's sick. The ink is reacting badly with her magic."

"Different?" David shook his head slightly. He didn't care. He didn't care about anything but saving her life. "Can. You. Help. Her?" he all but growled.

"It has reached her heart already," the old woman murmured, stroking her fingers along the skin below Regina's collar bones. "Feel," she instructed him, reaching out for his hand suddenly. She pressed his palm to the skin over Regina's heart and David stilled, concentrating on the weak, unsteady thud beneath his hand. He hadn't realised. He had been so focused on her breathing that he hadn't even noticed that her heart was barely still beating.

"Once the heart does not work, the rest of the body cannot keep up," she told him, as he pulled his hand back, his fingers falling to rest against Regina's hairline, stroking the dark strands back. "It is why she cannot breathe properly." She sighed heavily. "I'm afraid the only cure for mermaid's ink, is mermaid's blood."

"Mermaid's blood, great," David nodded his head quickly. Finally, they were getting somewhere. David had always valued actions over words. He didn't want to know the details about why Regina was sick – he wanted to be told how to fix her. "Where can I find a mermaid?"  
Cheauku snorted loudly. "You make it sound so simple," he shook his head quickly. "Mermaids are dangerous creatures. They are not easily killed. You'd probably end up dead yourself if you tried."

"I have to try," David said, without hesitation. "Tell me where to go."

"You will need a guide," the old woman told him.

"Fine, who knows the way?" he glanced over at Cheauku hopefully. The boy shook his head warily.

"No one will take you to the river in the dark. You will have to wait till morning," his grandmother said firmly.

"She's not going to last until morning!" David yelled. "I can't wait that long! Just show me the right direction and I'll go on my own!"

Cheauku flinched at sudden loudness of his voice, but the old woman remained calm. She shook her head slowly.

"It would be your death," she said calmly. "And hers. Wait until morning. I will give her something to help her breathing until then." She pushed herself to her feet, groaning softly as she did and rubbing her hip as she moved towards one of the shelves, reaching out to pluck up one of the heavy wooden bowls. David closed his eyes, sucking in a steadying breath as he tried to get his emotions under control. He couldn't sit around and do nothing. He couldn't simply wait while Regina faded away in front of his eyes. But he couldn't save her without help, and he was never going to be able to find a mermaid on his own. He had to try and be patient, as hard a feat as that was proving to be.

"Bring that pot away from the fire," the old lady ordered and Cheauku quickly reached forwards, using a wooden stick that rested beside the fire to hook into the handle over a small metal pot of steaming water that David hadn't noticed until then. Using the stick, he lifted the pot and carried it over, settling it down onto the ground beside Regina's head. The old woman settled herself back down in front of David, dropping a handful of dried herbs into the water and using the stick to stir them in. She dipped her hand into the wooden bowl she had placed in her lap, removing a glob of yellow liquid and rubbing it into the skin over Regina's chest.

"Put her head over the steam," the woman instructed, nodding towards the pot. "Let her breathe it in."

Carefully, David slid his arms around Regina, lifting her and turning her slightly. Cheauku reached out quickly, holding her head steady over the steam. For a few minutes, they sat in silence, listening to the soft wheezing sounds of Regina's breathing.

"Enough," the woman murmured eventually, and David pulled her back, resting her head in his lap as he brushed the warm droplets of condensed steam from her flushed cheeks. She was breathing a little easier now, her chest moving a little more regularly than before.

"It is up to her now," the woman said quietly. "If she is alive by morning, Cheauku will show you to the river. Try to get some sleep," she advised. "If you're fighting mermaids, you're going to need it."

She held her hand out and Cheauku helped her to her feet. "Come boy," she told her grandson. "I have some herbs to give your mother to help ease her morning sickness. Let's go to her now and leave our guests in peace."

David watched them as they left, walking slowly across the wooden walkway into the next tree house over.

_If she is alive by morning, _the words echoed tauntingly inside his head. He dropped his gaze back to Regina, stroking his thumb along her cheek softly. Beneath the warmth that the steam had imparted to her skin, she felt cold and clammy. Her fever had died away, but it certainly wasn't a good sign. It simply meant that her body was no longer strong enough to put up a fight.

"You can't die on me Regina," David whispered, shaking his head subtly. "I'm not ready to lose you. You can't die before somebody gets the chance to know you." He still wanted to hear her laugh again. He wanted to see the way her dark eyes shone as she teased him. He wanted to hear her voice again. He wanted to tell her that she'd been wrong – that she was worth saving. "I don't think you even realise what you've done to me," he said quietly. "When you open up and let me in, when I'm with the real you, everything feels different. I know I'm falling for you and I know I should be trying to pull away, but I can't. And I don't care how messy this will make things. I don't care if it turns my life upside down; I'm not going to lose you. So you can't die, okay? You have to promise me," he pleaded quietly.

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. He knew he should rest, he was exhausted, both physically and mentally from the stress that he had endured throughout the past couple of days, but he couldn't bring himself to try and sleep. He was terrified that if he closed his eyes, he would wake up to find Regina cold and lifeless beside him. His blue eyes moved slowly over her still features, her skin paler than usual, her eyelids bruised, her lips tinted a slight blue hue.

He hadn't thought about Snow or Emma in hours. He felt a prickle of guilt as he remembered that his wife and daughter were out there somewhere, lost and possibly in danger. He had been so consumed with trying to save Regina that every other worry had ceased to matter. There was nothing he could do for them though. He had no idea where they were, he wouldn't even know where to begin searching for them. But Regina was here, Regina was right in front of him and she needed him. And somehow the fact that she needed him, the realisation that she wasn't invulnerable, had an overwhelming feeling of protectiveness towards her rising up within him.

"You never told me your name," Cheauku's voice came from overhead. "Here, my mother told me to give you this."

David glanced up, both surprised and pleased to find that the boy was carrying a steaming bowl of some sort of meat stew in his hands.

"David," he said, eagerly taking the bowl, his stomach growling as he did. He lifted a tender piece of meat to his mouth, groaning at the taste.

"David," Cheauku repeated, smiling. He sat down opposite him. "I am Cheauku."

David nodded his head, still eagerly scooping up chunks of meat and tender vegetables to his mouth.

"And her name?" the boy motioned to Regina.

"Regina," David said, swallowing his mouthful. He ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth, wincing. He had burnt it in his impatience. Hunger winning out over discomfort, he found himself reaching for another piece of meat.

Cheauku was still staring down at Regina. His eyes were lighter than his grandmother's, a sort of medium shade of brown – no where near as intense as the deep chestnut colour of Regina's eyes, David found himself thinking idly.

"She's very beautiful," the boy said quietly. He glanced up at David solemnly. "We'll save her. She's going to make it. She's holding on for you, I know it." He stood up, nodding his head once before making his way out of the small wooden tree house. David watched him go, touched by the boy's words. He took Regina's hand in his, squeezing it gently.

"Don't let go," he whispered. "Keep holding on for me."


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Sorry for the wait guys, had my worst exam today so I've been studying like crazy all week. But thankfully it is over now! As always, thank you to Grace de Gold, keira-alinka, Anny Rodrigues, Morgauza, MariaPurt, Natali Rempel Drews, t3ars0fglass, Keyhlan, lachicarebelde22 and bloodymary2 for reviewing. I cannot believe this story has fifty reviews already! You guys really make my day with your thoughts and comments :).**_

**Chapter 10**

When dawn finally came, David felt as though he hadn't slept at all. He clambered down the tree trunk ladder after Cheauku, stretching the aching muscles in his back and yawning. In the wan grey morning light, the world around him seemed to be drained of all colour. He suddenly found himself reminded of the small cottage he had grown up in with his mother, of waking up before the sunrise every day and shepherding his small flock of sheep out into the dewy fields to graze. Some mornings the sun would rise with as much flamboyance as an impressionist painting, colouring the sky with every shade of pink and orange imaginable, while other mornings had been like this one, slow and grey and quiet, as though the world was holding its breath. It felt like he had lived a hundred lifetimes between then and now.

"Time to kill a mermaid," Cheauku announced, giving him a nervous smile. David nodded his head, his hand automatically moving to touch the cold steel of the blade at his side. His eyes flickered upwards, to the tree house overhead that housed a weak and rapidly deteriorating brunette. His emotions towards Regina grew more complicated with each passing day, but one thing he was absolutely certain of: he was not prepared to see her die. He dropped his gaze back to the boy standing in front of him, nodding his head once.

"Lead the way."

Hours passed as he followed Cheauku in silence through the jungle, until golden light had replaced the grey in spotlight beams through the cracks in the canopy overhead. The boy talked endlessly, giving names to the plants around them, pointing out a colourful bird as it flew through the trees overhead and cheerfully describing the last hunting mission he had embarked on. David listened to it all distractedly, caught up in his own thoughts. He was thinking about Regina of course, agonizing over every minute that he knew she was waiting for him, holding onto life by a thread. The longer the journey to the river took them, the more afraid he became that she would not still be there when he returned. But occasionally, thoughts of Snow would pierce through the worry and he found himself wracked with guilt. He couldn't understand what was happening to him. He couldn't understand how Regina had so effortlessly crept into his heart, just by lowering her defences and showing him a little of who she was.

_Its just fear, _he tried to convince himself. _You're afraid she's going to die and its confusing everything. _

Once this was over, once they were all safe and together again, these new, sudden emotions he had developed for Regina would have to be dealt with. But until then, he wasn't going to devote any extra time and effort into trying to decipher his heart. Until then, he was going to do what he did best and simply focus on the task at hand.

"There it is," Cheauku announced, stopping suddenly. Shaken out of his musings, David glanced upwards. The trees had parted, ferns giving way to tall reeds that clogged the muddy banks on either side of the wide river. Sunlight sparkled upon its surface, broken by faint ripples that hinted at the current running beneath the surface of the water. It looked rather peaceful really.

David narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Where are the mermaids?"

Cheauku shrugged, turning so that he could walk alongside the river, following it downstream.

"They're not like fish," he said, waving a hand towards the water as he spoke. "You don't find them everywhere. But if we walk and watch closely, we should find one."

David fell into step beside him, fear and frustration clenching his insides. This could take all day. He glared across at the river surface, hoping against hope that they would find one sooner rather than later.

"Grandmother promised she would take care of Regina," Cheauku mentioned tentatively. "She won't let her die."

David closed his eyes briefly at the words, his stomach twisting further in fear. It seemed so hard to believe that he had once fought fiercely to see her lifeless and cold in her grave. Now the very thought made him feel sick.

"It's my fault," he whispered suddenly, the confession spilling forth before he could consider what he was saying. The guilt had been stewing inside of him for hours now and it seemed it could no longer be held in. He felt Cheauku's eyes flick to him curiously. He shook his head, clenching his fists. "When the Lost Boys came, I distracted her. She would have taken care of them easily – a kid with a crossbow is nothing to her. But I distracted her. I wanted to prove that we could solve things without fighting. I was trying to prove a point and I…" he stopped walking suddenly, sucking in a ragged breath, one hand wrapping around his abdomen in a futile attempt to ward off the pain inside of him. "If she dies it's my fault."

"No… David…" Cheauku's expression crumpled with sympathy as he turned to him. "Look, I know I don't know her, but I'm sure she wouldn't want you to blame… _mermaid_!" The last word came out as a surprised yelp as Cheauku's attention suddenly shifted past him, and David spun around in time to see a pale head of hair and black, almond shaped eyes watching him curiously from the water. The rest of the mermaid, from her nose down, was submerged. David shuddered with relief, silently thanking whoever might be listening for this second chance. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. From now on, he would keep Regina safe – no matter the cost.

He tugged his sword free, pushing past reeds as he approached the river's edge, all the while keeping his gaze fixed upon the mermaid. The skin of her forehead was a pale blue colour, with the same kind of shimmery, glistening texture that reminded him of fish scales. Her eyes were entirely black, and without eyebrows to lend emotion to them, they seemed as empty as a corpse's. She lifted her head a little further out of the water as she watched him approach; revealing twin slits where her nose should have been and a small, lipless mouth. She looked far less human than he had imagined, something he knew would help him in slaying her.

"So what's your plan?" Cheauku asked nervously, as David waded into the cold water, finally pushing past the reeds that clogged the shallows.

_Plan? _he thought. He was going to kill this thing. He had his sword, what more of a plan was necessary?

He turned his head towards Cheauku, opening his mouth to say as much, when a pair of hands suddenly grabbed him behind his knees, dragging him beneath the water.

His sword was gone in an instant, his hands reflexively opening as he flailed to regain his balance. The water around him was turning murky, his thrashing churning up the mud from the river floor, and when he opened his eyes beneath the water all he could make out was a pair of cold, black eyes in a pale face watching him emotionlessly as he drowned. He kicked hard, freeing his foot from the mermaid's grasp and slamming it into her jaw. There was a thin, high pitched scream, and he used his moment to surface. He sucked in a desperate gasp of air, turning his head to where Cheauku was standing on the shore. He was further away than he had expected – the current was carrying him downstream, he realised suddenly.

"My sword!" he yelled out frantically, before the hands seized hold of him again and dragged him down.

A silvery grey tail slammed into him as the mermaid pulled him close, opening her mouth to reveal sharp, thin teeth. She lunged for him and he writhed backwards, pushing her off of him with all his might. His head broke free of the water again and he dragged in another desperate gasp of air. The water churned around him as the mermaid moved in again. A shadow passed over him and he lifted his head, catching sight of the low tree branch that was hanging over the water above him. Without thinking he reached up and grabbed it. He pulled hard, scrabbling up onto the branch as the mermaid lunged at him again, her long nails clawing at his leg as he pulled himself up. He clung to the branch, panting, and breathing a silent thanks to whatever storm had toppled this tree into the water. The mermaid's head broke free of the surface and she swiped a clawed hand at him furiously, sending him scrambling backwards on the branch to where it rested a little higher over the water.

"David!" Cheauku called frantically.

The boy was just within the shallows, standing on top of a slimy rock to keep himself out of the water. His eyes were wide and terrified as he met David's gaze.

"I can't find the sword," he said, motioning towards the muddy water. David wasn't about to send him in there to search for it. He winced as the mermaid's hand brushed against his calf, shifting again on the branch as the creature in the water below him continued to lunge at him.

"Your bow!" David yelled, gesturing wildly towards Cheauku. As though remembering it for the first time, the boy lifted his hand to the bow on his back. He knocked an arrow to it, drew back, aimed briefly and released. David hissed in frustration as the mermaid ducked under the water and the arrow harmlessly whizzed past, bobbing up to float along with the current.

His hands shaking, Cheauku reached for another arrow and fired again.

"Cheauku…" David said in frustration, as the second arrow met the same fate as the first.

"I'm trying!" the boy yelled back, his voice strained with tension.

The mermaid beneath him gave a particularly violent lunge towards the tree, and David had to jerk quickly to the side to avoid the creature's sharp claws.

_Enough of this_, he decided suddenly.

"Aim towards the tree!" he instructed, as Cheauku aimed again.

"What?"

"The branch I'm sitting on! Hit the branch!"

Cheauku hesitated a moment more, and then, to David's relief, he let his arrow fly. It made a solid 'thunk' as it struck the wood of the branch and David released a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding – realising suddenly how easily he could have been hit. He reached towards the wooden shaft, ripping it out of the branch and sending a flaky shower of lichen and bark into the river beneath him as he did. The mermaid had stopped trying to grab him. She was now almost fully submerged in the water once more, empty black eyes watching him intently…waiting.

"Here goes nothing," David said, tightening his grip around the arrow and releasing his hold on the branch. He toppled sideways, falling into the cold water with a splash.

This time, when the mermaid seized him again, he didn't resist. He allowed her to pull him in close, barely able to see her through the murky water that separated them. Her mouth opened and she lunged for his throat, and at the same moment he stabbed her chest with the arrow clutched in his grip. He jerked his head to the side, avoiding her razor sharp teeth, blinking rapidly as the water turned a deep blue with the blood that was spilling forth from her chest. His head broke free from the surface and he sucked in a gasp of air, the sound of Cheauku's yells of victory filling his ears. The mermaid went limp against him, and all around him the river carried away the precious droplets of Regina's cure. David tightened his grip around the mermaid and wearily began to drag it towards the shore. They had to get back to camp.

…

"It's not working," he growled, shaking his head slightly as he stared down desperately at the unconscious brunette before him. He lifted his blue eyes to Nakoma. "Are you sure you gave her enough of the blood?"

"Give it time," the old woman chastised him. "Look, her breathing already grows stronger."

David watched the unsteady rise and fall of Regina's chest without conviction, his fingers clenching and unclenching in impatience as he waited.

_I took too long, _he thought fearfully. _It isn't working. _

He watched her intently, tracing the movement as she breathed another breath, listening to the faint rasping of her tortured lungs as she did. How could Nakoma see any difference? All that he could see was that she wasn't what she should be. Another breath. No difference. He exhaled raggedly, turning his gaze away. It had been too long… how much damage had the ink not done to her already? Her fingers had turned blue, as had her lips. The veins under her skin had become visible as a spider's web of ink black vessels. The rest of her skin was as white as marble, and as lifeless. She was more dead than alive, hanging on by a thread so thin he could scarcely believe it hadn't snapped. He had known the woman was stubborn, but this was something else entirely.

_Please don't let go,_ he silently begged, turning his blue eyes back towards her and watching yet another breath enter and leave her body. His eyes narrowed as he stared at cheeks, noticing for the first time, the faintest flush of colour.

"Regina?" he took her cold hand in his, squeezing it gently, trying to impart some warmth into her body.

Another breath, this one steadier, the rasp less pronounced. A little more colour spread through her skin.

"There we go," Nakoma said, nodding in satisfaction. She lifted her black eyes to him. "Some cures just take time."

On cue, Regina sucked in a deeper breath, her eyelashes fluttering weakly as she started to regain consciousness.

"Regina?" David leaned forwards, cupping her cheek in his hand, desperate to see those dark eyes again. His thumb stroked her cheek as she slowly roused.

"David?" she mumbled and finally her eyes opened, unfocused and confused, but still as beautiful as he had remembered. He felt a weight lift off of his chest and he released a shuddery breath at the sensation. He dropped his head, his nose bumping against hers as their foreheads met.

"You scared me," he whispered, lingering a moment before pulling back slightly. Her brows furrowed slightly, dark eyes flickering away from him and around the room before landing back on him again.

"Where… What happened?" she asked, shaking her head slightly.

David laughed softly, relief bubbling up inside of him.

"A lot," he said, shaking his head. He smiled down at her, his heart leaping as she returned it weakly. She was going to be okay. And suddenly, nothing else mattered.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_**A/N: Sorry for the wait guys, I cannot believe how busy I've been, plus this was a surprisingly tough chapter to write… :/**_

_**As always thank you to bloodymary2, letgolaughing, t3ars0fglass, onlywithlove, freedomqueen, Grace de Gold and my two guest reviewers for reviewing! Your comments always brighten my day!**_

There were some things that even being an immortal could not fix. Like the pain that shot through his broken foot with every step he took, the infernal heat of the jungle, the annoying gnat that had been hovering around his neck for the past hour and the raven haired young woman beside him who simply refused to shut up.

Snow White, it seemed, did not do well travelling in silence.

Gold growled softly, pushing a fern out of the way as he stepped carefully over a protruding root, knowing all too well how painful falling over such a thing could be. He had done so no less than three times today, to his eternal shame.

"How far is it?" Snow asked, sighing through her words. He both understood and shared her frustration. Hot days of monotonous walking through a humid jungle and shivering nights spent listening to the Screamers patrolling the sky had left both of them in dour spirits. Still, Rumple refused to use his magic to aid their journey, still convinced that whatever those creatures were that haunted the night, they were attracted to magic.

"We should be there before sunset," he replied, futilely trying to swat the bug away from his neck. He ran a hand behind his damp hair, grimacing at the small, itchy bites that he could feel dotting his skin.

Snow was watching him, those green eyes filled with a certain light of curiosity and boredom that he had come to associate with endless, probing questions. Sure enough, a moment later she had opened her mouth.

"What's it like to see the future?"

Gold heaved a sigh, giving her a look that clearly conveyed his disdain for the conversation. Snow stared back at him, expectant.

At least this was an easier conversation than her previous choices, the Dark One reasoned. After giving up on preaching to him about the values of morals and goodness – as subtly as she knew how – Snow had opted to bug him about his love life with Belle. His gifts of soothsaying seemed an infinitely better option than the former two conversations had been.

"It isn't as simple as it sounds," he shrugged, giving in and answering. She'd only keep pestering him if he held his tongue after all. "It's like…" he trailed off thoughtfully, his brow furrowing as he attempted to come up with a genuine answer. "It's like looking at threads," he said finally.

"Threads?" Snow echoed doubtfully.

"And each thread is a choice," Gold elaborated. "You see, there is more than one possible future at any single moment, depending on the choices we make. Seeing the future is like seeing all of those choices and their outcomes, all at once."

He'd simplified it down a tad, but he supposed that was the gist of it. Snow lapsed into a brief, contemplative silence and Gold allowed himself a slow exhale of relief, hoping that she would be satisfied for a time. His hopes were dashed as she uttered her next question.

"What kinds of choices? Choosing between peanut butter or chocolate spread on my toast doesn't seem likely to change much in my future."

"Significant choices, obviously," Gold replied through gritted teeth, wondering how that wasn't obvious. Sometimes he was almost certain she asked such foolish questions simply to keep him talking. "There were many choices that had to be done right in order for the events that led to the curse to take place for instance," he said, regretting the words even as he said them. He could practically see the sparkle of interest in Snow's eyes at the mention of the curse.

"How long had you been planning the curse?" Snow asked curiously.

Gold snorted. "Long before any of you were born." His eyes closed briefly, memories of the blind seer rising to mind. She had been his first glimpse of hope after losing Bae, his first clue as to how to get his son back. His eyes snapped open again and he shook his head slightly. He didn't want to think about this. He didn't want to think about Baelfire… He couldn't…

It was time to change the direction of this conversation, the imp decided.

"Many choices had to be made," he said, keeping his tone casual. "Which twin to pick, for instance, to give away to the childless king as a son? Had I picked David instead of his brother James, he would have ended up falling in love with the wrong girl, and everything would have been ruined."

Predictably, Snow's expression melted into disbelief and outrage at his statement. Gold hid a smirk as he stared back at her.

"What?" he asked innocently. "Oh don't worry dearie, you would have found another true love."

"David and I are each other's _only _true loves!" Snow said vehemently, her face twisted with fury. "Our love is why you needed us!" she spat.

"What makes you think I needed you?" Rumplestiltskin laughed, amused by the arrogance of the statement. "I needed a couple with true love – of which there are many within our land. That it happened to be you and David is of no consequence really. I could have used Cinderella and her prince just as easily."

Snow fell silent at his words, a frown playing at her features. He found himself suddenly enjoying this conversation – the girl was far too puffed up with her own self importance… he relished taking her down a notch.

"No, you couldn't have," she said after a minute. "You may not have needed me, or David, or even Emma – the saviour only had to be the child of true love – whose child it was didn't matter… But you didn't just choose us out of coincidence. There's a reason it had to be us."

"There was a single piece on the chessboard that could not be swapped," Gold said indifferently, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "She influenced who many of my choices had to be."

"Regina," Snow said slowly. "Why her? Why was she important?"

"Why does it matter?" Rumple snapped back, annoyed once more. This conversation had turned into a mine-field. Already he was letting slip information that Snow had no right to. It was this heat, he decided in frustration. He wasn't paying enough attention to what he was saying.

Snow fell silent again, but he could practically hear the gears turning inside her head as she thought it through.

"Just how powerful is she?" she asked softly. Rumplestiltskin stopped in his tracks, turning to face the dark haired young woman, his expression a warning. She continued speaking regardless. "It's the reason it had to be her, isn't it? Swap any of the rest of us for another, and it wouldn't change how anything worked out. So the only reason you can't swap Regina just as easily is because she can't be replaced. Which means she was the only one capable of casting the curse…"

"Powerful magicians are hard to find," Gold said coolly, turning around and walking away once more. There was a rustle of leaves as Snow hurried to fall into step beside him again.

_More than hard, _Gold found himself silently amending. He had waited years for Regina to be born, and years more for her to grow up, knowing that there wouldn't be another sorcerer born in the next thousand years with even half the magic she possessed. She was a prodigy, the only one capable of ripping up an entire world and placing it within another, not that she knew it. He had been exceedingly careful not to allow her any insight into the true nature of the abilities she possessed. She knew only as much as he had taught her – nothing more.

He heard Snow's soft inhale as she prepared to speak again, and momentarily toyed with the idea of using just a little bit of magic to force her into silence. Surely if he was quick about it, the Screamers would not notice?

"When you said that if David had been the prince, he would have fallen in love with the wrong girl," she began, and Rumple relaxed, relieved that she had fallen back to this train of thought. "You said it would ruin everything. What did you mean by that? If any couple with true love would have sufficed, why did it matter who he fell in love with? You said I would find another true love. I would have married him, and our child would have been the saviour. It wouldn't have changed a thing…" she trailed off suddenly, her green eyes going wide as she no doubt struck upon the truth.

Rumplestiltskin grinned widely. "Again, dearie, it had nothing to do with _you _or _him. _It was the girl he would have fallen in love with that I was concerned about."

"No…" Snow breathed, shaking her head quickly. "No, that's not possible."

"Why are you so upset?" he waved his hand idly, unable to fully hide his pleasure at her obvious horror. "It's a future that never came to pass, because of the choice I made. You should be thanking me, dearie."

"You're lying," she accused.

"Believe what you will," he shrugged, his voice jaded.

"He could never have loved her," Snow whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "She couldn't be his true love. It isn't possible."

"She isn't his true love. You are, remember? You're worrying about a future that doesn't exist," Rumple pointed out. "James became the prince instead and David married you, and Regina cast the curse as she was supposed to. Everything worked out quite well, really."

Snow shook her head and turned away from him, looking sickened. Silence stretched between them, and Rumple allowed himself to relax, satisfied that the girl was now too caught up in her own inner musings to bother him any more. Everything _had_ worked out as it was supposed to, he decided suddenly. He may have lost Bae, but he had a second chance in the form of his grandson. He could give to Henry what he had never been able to give to Baelfire. He would try harder, he would be better. He would sacrifice whatever was needed to keep the boy safe.

_Sacrifice,_ the word echoed inside his head, a whispered warning. And even in the heat of the midday jungle, Rumplestiltskin suddenly felt goose bumps crawl down his skin. His heart thudded in his chest, his eyes widening slightly in realisation. How hadn't he seen this before? Another choice lay before him, one which would significantly alter the course of the future, no matter what he decided.

And he already knew what he had to do. He had no choice really.

Now walking a pace ahead of him, Snow pushed aside several vines of hanging creeper, and suddenly, there it was – a weathered grey fortress overtaken by moss and creeper, more a part of the jungle than a building really. Parts of it had crumbled, large stones peeking out from the long green grass that surrounded the fort, remnants of what once might have been a manicured garden.

"Peter Pan's fortress," Snow announced, her voice still strained and angry. "Finally."

Rumplestiltskin stared at it, his features carefully emotionless. There was no choice, not this time. He knew what had to be done. And he knew with utter certainty that he would not be leaving that fortress alive.

…

"You know," Henry said conversationally, staring up at the rocky ceiling over his head. "I never thought fairies lived in caves. I always imagined them in mushrooms or something. The big red ones with the white spots," he added, nodding his head.

"Less talking more fairy dust collecting," Emma told him, gesturing to the coloured specks floating around the cave. "You said you could do it," she added, a note of accusation in her voice. Neither her nor Killian had intended for Henry to join Emma down in the lower section of the cave, but upon seeing her Henry had jumped through the hole before anyone could stop him. He had hurt his knee in the fall, and scraped the skin off his palms, but he didn't care about the injuries. He had only cared about getting to Emma. After the blonde had cried and hugged him and yelled at him all at once, she had finally calmed down long enough for Killian to suggest that Henry might be able to find a way to get them both out of the cave they were trapped inside. Fairies only gave their dust to children after all, a category in which Henry qualified.

"I'm working on it," Henry said defensively, his hazel eyes narrowing as a red fairy whizzed past his head. He glanced up at the hole in the ceiling above them. "Do you think Hook has found anyone yet?" he asked, his thoughts flickering to Regina. His longing to see her hadn't abated, even with Emma around.

Emma snorted. "At this moment I'd rather he found something better than bananas to eat," she complained.

Having devoured his share of the yellow fruit practically starving, Henry had decided that no better food existed. Except his mother's cooking. Nothing surpassed that. He pushed himself to his feet, wincing as his grazed hands pressed against the rough rock beneath him. Favouring his injured leg, he began to walk slowly around the cave, his head tilted up towards the ceiling. Several of the stalactites above his head were glowing with different colours, signalling the fairies that were inside of them. It was beautiful and magical, an upside down city in the depths of a dark cave, the kind of thing that Henry had only ever read about, but never gotten to see. Now that Emma was with him, his fear of the world around him had abated enough to allow his curiosity and sense of wonder to surface. This was a world out of a story book, not the world he wanted to explore, but close. He clambered up another rock, tilting his head slightly as he examined the fairies fluttering above him.

"Having any luck?" a familiar voice called, and he turned to see Killian poking his head through the hole up above him.

"Please tell me you have more food," Emma asked, to which the pirate shook his head.

"Doing the best that I can love," he said, as she grumbled in frustration. "How are you coming along with the fairies?" he asked, turning his attention to Henry.

"They're ignoring me," he said, shrugging helplessly. "I don't know maybe they know I'm not a Lost Boy – maybe they just don't like me or something."

"Nonsense," Killian shook his head. "You've just got to attract their attention. Make some noise, get their interest. Fairies are fickle things; you've got to reel them in somehow."

"Okay," Henry nodded, shrugging one shoulder as he tried to come up with a way to attract the attention of the fluttering creatures over his head. "Hey fairies!" he called out, his brow furrowing in annoyance as they continued to ignore him. He found himself thinking of his mother, of the way she could effortlessly command anyone's attention just by her presence alone. Straightening his back, Henry morphed his voice into a stronger, forceful tone. "Fairies!" he said, his voice echoing sternly back at him against the stone walls. The strange, high pitched sounds of fairy chatter died down, and suddenly a bright blue one was floating towards him, coming to rest in the air just above his head. "I need some of your dust," he said commandingly, holding out one hand.

"Now who does he remind me of…?" Killian snickered. "The queen would be proud lad," he added, as the fairy floated further down, coming to rest on Henry's palm. He froze, ignoring the pirate behind him and Emma's snort of annoyance, focusing only on keeping perfectly still lest the slightest of movements cause the fairy in his hand to take flight again. The creature shook itself, sparkling dust falling in a fine shower around it, much like a dog shaking off water. Henry sucked in a breath as the dust sank into his skin, leaving glowing pinpricks of blue light before fading away to nothing. The fairy tittered something unintelligible before taking flight once more, joining its brethren amidst the stalactites overhead. Henry turned back towards Emma, who was watching him with wide eyes.

"Well?" she prompted him, making an up and down motion with her hand.

He shrugged. "I don't feel any different."

"Think happy thoughts," Emma said, nodding eagerly.

"Happy thoughts…" Henry nibbled at his bottom lip thoughtfully. "Erm…" _Puppies, _he thought. Puppies made him happy. He gave an experimental hop, feeling utterly foolish when gravity tugged him straight back down again.

"Come on lad, how hard can it be?" Killian pushed.

"Think about the last time we were at Granny's," Emma suggested. "We had milkshakes and burgers… that was fun, right?"

"Yea," he nodded his head, closing his eyes. Burgers at Granny's was a happy thought. But as he tried to picture it, another memory rose to his mind, pushing the other one out of the way. He was in his kitchen at home, seated on the kitchen counter stirring the chocolate batter for his birthday cake. Regina was standing beside him, leaning her elbows on the countertop as she watched him with soft, dark eyes. Silently he offered her the spoon, and she playfully lifted her finger and swiped a dollop off the edge, smudging it on his nose. He had giggled and wriggled backwards as she swooped in, kissing it off again, her fingers tickling his sides as she did, until he was breathless with laughter. Henry opened his eyes, swallowing hard as emotion thickened his throat. That had been his eighth birthday, before he had been given the book, before his relationship with his mom had spiralled downwards. The memory was bittersweet, but it carried enough happiness within it to do the trick. He held that moment within him as he attempted a jump, his heart catching as this time, the air around him seemed weightless, and he hovered just above the rock beneath him.

Emma gasped, leaping to her feet. "Kid you did it!"

"Would you look at that," Killian added, sounding impressed.

"I'm flying," Henry gasped, floating higher into the air as he laughed excitedly. He reached the roof of the cave, his eyes widening as finally got to view the fairy city from close. Each hanging stone was a marvel, intricately carved, with dozens of windows just large enough for the fairy folk to fly in and out of.

"Alright, come on down here," Emma said impatiently, waving her hand. Henry turned towards her, floating slowly downwards again until he landed at her feet. He grinned up at her happily, and she returned it briefly before glancing up at Hook. "Are you sure he's going to be able to lift me?"

"With fairy dust, yes," the pirate nodded. "The dust will lift whatever he is holding onto. Give it a try," he suggested. Shrugging, Emma held out her hands. Henry promptly filled them with his smaller ones.

"You ready?" he asked, as Emma's grip tightened on him. She gave him a doubt filled look.

"You really think this will work?"

_Only one way to find out_, Henry thought, focusing on the happy memory he had first used to fly. Again there was the sensation of the world becoming weightless, like the gravity no longer existed. He found himself floating upwards, only this time, Emma came with him.

"Wow," she breathed, green eyes wide. She gave a shaky laugh. "Wow."

They floated upwards steadily, Henry's eyes focused on the hole above their heads, Emma's eyes flickering endlessly around the world around her, filled with disbelief. Hook reached out as they floated through the opening in the rocky ceiling, wrapping his arms around Emma and pulling her backwards until her feet rested on solid ground once more. Henry floated a moment longer, before gently alighting on the ground beside her.

"I did it!" he said excitedly. He jumped up and down, the motion exaggerated by the way he floated momentarily before falling to the ground again. "I can fly!"

"Just wait till the others find out," Emma said. "I'm sure Regina will love this," she added dryly.

"We can go find them now!" Henry said, excitement filling him. Soon, they would all be together again, sailing away on Hook's ship.

"No sense in wasting any more daylight," Hook said, nodding. "Come on," he motioned with his hook, and Henry and Emma fell into step beside him as he led the way out of the cave.

"So how long will this last?" Henry asked, bouncing into the air and feeling somewhat similar to an astronaut in space.

"Three days, give or take," the pirate shrugged, a grin pulling at his lips as his blue eyes flickered over him.

"So it's not permanent?" Emma sighed with visible relief.

"Awh," Henry whined, dropping back to the ground with a thud. "Maybe I can catch another fairy…" he mused aloud.

"Lets first concentrate on finding the others, huh?" Emma asked, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close.

After the darkness of the cave, the daylight outside seemed blindingly bright. Henry blinked, feeling the humidity of the jungle settle over him like a heavy blanket.

"I forgot how hot it is here," he muttered, raking his hand backwards through his hair. He tilted his head up at Emma. "So…where's the ship?"

He watched her eyes flicker to Hook, watched the way her face blanched and a look of panic passed across her features. He turned to Killian in confusion as the pirate abruptly burst out laughing. A moment later, Emma followed suit.

"W-what's the matter?" he asked, his gaze flickering between the two hysterically laughing adults.

"Henry…" Emma began, "we don't even know where the ship is. We're completely lost, kiddo."

"You lost the ship? How do you lose a ship?"

"Well, we know where it is…" Hook said. "We just don't know where _we _are."

"But the point is we're all together," Emma said cheerfully. "And come on! How hard can it be to find the sea, right?"

"There's actually a river back that way," Hook said, pointing. "I found it earlier."

"You see?" Emma smiled happily as they fell into step with the pirate, following him through the tangled overgrowth of jungle. "Everything's going to be fine."

Henry smiled, relaxing slightly. She was right. They were together now, and soon they would find his mom and his grandparents and Gold. They would find the ship and sail home and this nightmare would be over.

"It's actually pretty close," Hook said, holding back the branches of a prickly cycad for them as they walked through. He gestured with his hook and through the cracks in the foliage ahead Henry could see a tell-tale sparkle of sunlight hitting running water. He broke free of Emma's hold, walking forwards eagerly. The trees parted ahead of them, and as one the three of them all stopped dead, staring frozen at the seven Lost Boy's who were standing on the other side of the river, dipping their hands in for a drink. For a moment, the two groups simply stared at each other, and then the boys suddenly snapped into action, lifting their weapons threateningly.

"Nobody move!" a brown haired boy yelled, waving his crossbow warningly. "You're coming with us."

_**A/N: So I rewrote the first part of this a few times, and still was not satisfied, and eventually had to simply give up and post because I didn't want to keep you guys waiting. Hope you enjoy. Next chapter is all EvilCharming.**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_**A/N: Enjoy the double post :)**_

"Hey, slowly, take it easy," David cautioned her, his hands already moving to hold her waist as she struggled to keep herself standing. Regina gave him a glare, which he ignored, tried to shift out of his grip, only to have him tighten his hold on her, and eventually huffed out an annoyed breath, dark eyes meeting blue as she waited for him.

Though her legs felt slightly unsteady beneath her, she was feeling infinitely better than she had before. Her breathing was no longer something she had to concentrate on to keep steady, her connection with her magic was sure and strong and unhindered by pain, and her mind would have been clear and sharp as ever if only it wasn't for a certain Prince Charming distracting her by the way his thumbs gently moved up and down against her side as he held her securely. His blue eyes were carefully scanning her features, filled with a quiet, gentle emotion she couldn't quite place. After a few moments, he hesitantly pulled his hands away, keeping them hovering in the air around her in case she would need the support. She stood still a moment longer, testing her balance as she shifted subtly from leg to leg, before turning around and walking out of the entrance to the small tree house.

"Regina!" David's voice was a growl of frustration as he followed her out into the dappled sunlight. Regina tilted her head up as she walked across the wooden bridge that connected one tree house to the next, breathing in deeply. The air inside Nakoma's hut had been clogged with the scent of dried herbs and fire smoke. She was desperate for the fresh air around her, for the sunlight that was playing over her skin, the whisper of the trees rustling over her head and the cracks of blue sky she could see through the branches. The wooden walkway beneath her feet swayed slightly, and she found herself stumbling. She caught the rope railing on the side and held on to it, laughing quietly even as David chastised her angrily for pushing herself too fast. She turned towards him, leaning back against the rough rope behind her and laughing again as he reached one hand out to her for support. Mischievously she stepped sideways, dodging his hand and walking backwards away from him across the bridge as he followed her closely.

"I think your damsel in distress setting is malfunctioning Charming," she teased him. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine," he shook his head, his expression still worried. "You're about as steady as a drunken kitten."

Her shoulders shook as she laughed helplessly, feeling lighter and happier than she could remember being in a very long time. "How would you know what a drunk kitten looks like?" she pointed out. "What on earth have you been feeding those animals at the shelter David?" she added, watching happily as the beginnings of a smile cracked the seriousness of his expression.

"God, I think you are drunk," he murmured, snaking his arm around her waist and catching her again. Still smiling, she relented by resting her hands against his chest, leaning into the support he was offering her.

She shook her head slightly, tilting her head up to stare up at him. She had left her shoes back in Nakoma's house and without the added height of her heels David seemed suddenly much taller.

"You saved me," she said softly. She still couldn't quite believe it. She was alive because of him, because he had refused to give up on her, because he had risked his life for her. She was alive and suddenly everything around her seemed brighter and more beautiful.

"I promised you I would," he replied, his voice equally quiet. His eyes were so gentle. She wished she could know what he was thinking.

She gave him a small smile, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "People don't generally keep their promises," she whispered.

He lifted his hand, gentle fingers tucking a wayward curl of dark hair behind her ear. His hand lingered slightly, his fingers moving to trace the curve of her jaw.

"You know you can trust me right?" he asked, blue eyes shifting between each of hers. She opened her mouth to respond, but the words were lost as his eyes dropped to her lips and lingered there. When had he gotten so close? His head had dipped towards her, close enough to feel his breath against her cheek as he exhaled.

"Awake at last!" a cheerful voice called out and Regina jerked in surprise, stepping back from David as she turned her head to watch the young man crossing the walkway towards them. She swallowed, trying to gather up her composure and ignore the way her heart was thudding against her ribcage. Nothing had been about to happen, she told herself, shaking her head slightly at the ridiculousness of the notion. There was no way he had been about to… no.

"Cheauku," David's greeting sounded less than enthusiastic.

"David must have told you all about me right?" the boy asked her, flashing white teeth as he grinned widely. Regina smiled back at him, nodding.

"You're the one who helped him fight the mermaid, right?"

"I practically killed it for him," Cheauku announced, earning him a derisive snort from David. Regina laughed softly, shaking her head slightly.

"The way David tells it, you were on a rock and he was in a tree..."

"Ah David!" Cheauku shook his head in frustration as he whined. David shrugged, a smile playing at his lips.

"I'm not allowed to lie to her," he said simply and Regina smiled at him brightly, touched by the realisation that he was keeping to every promise he had made her.

"All right," Cheauku gave her a serious look. "But you're not allowed to tell that story to anyone," he warned. "I've been telling the better version to everyone all morning."

"Your secret is safe with us," Regina assured him, reaching out to hold onto the rope railing again as a wave of dizziness hit her. David stepped forwards, his arm sliding around her waist. She leaned into his side, no longer bothering to fight him.

"Come on," Cheauku motioned with his hand towards one of the tree houses. "My mother wants to meet you. She's made food," he added eagerly.

"You go on ahead," David said, nodding. "We'll catch up with you now."

Cheauku grinned again, then then turned and walked back across the walkway, through his grandmother's house and across the next walkway to his mother's. Regina smiled, closing her eyes as she tried to gather the strength she needed to walk the small distance.

"You ready to go kitten?" David murmured against her hair. She hummed in amusement, shaking her head slightly.

"In a minute," she replied, leaning a little heavier against him. The wind picked up again, rustling the leaves in the trees. Birds were flying to and fro in the branches overhead, tittering loudly amongst each other. The sun was warm, as was David, and she just wanted to stay there forever, listening to the world around her and feeling completely safe for the first time in forever. "Alright," she sighed, opening her eyes again and straightening. She shifted out of David's grasp, testing her balance as she began walking back across the wooden bridge.

"Stubborn," he said, shaking his head as she dodged away from the hand he offered for support. She shook her head slightly.

"If I let you have it your way, you'd probably be carrying me," she said.

"Now there's an idea," he teased.

Regina made an unimpressed sound, shaking her head slightly. Still, she couldn't quite stop the small smile that was tugging at her lips. She wasn't used to having someone worry about her, and she couldn't help the small part of her that loved the way that Charming was watching over her. Something had shifted while she had been unconscious, she could feel it between them. She had woken up to find he had become almost overprotective of her, something she found both annoying and endearing in equal measure.

"You know you're actually smaller than I thought you were," David announced suddenly, earning himself another glare from her.

"What?" she stopped, turning to face him. He looked her up and down, then nodded.

"I think you're shorter than Snow actually. Those heels were misleading."

"Short?" she echoed the word, her brows lifting in disbelief.

"It's a good thing," he said, nodding his head again.

"How, exactly?" she asked slowly, shaking her head slightly.

David suddenly grinned, his expression playful. In that brief moment, she couldn't help but note how gorgeous he looked, his blue eyes warm and mischievous, his blonde hair turned golden in the sunlight. The moment was abruptly broken as he reached forwards and grabbed her, lifting her up and over his shoulder, so that he was carrying her like a sack of potatoes.

"Charming!" she yelped, beating his back with her fist as he laughed loudly. "Let me down this instant! I swear if you don't put me down I will…"

"You won't hurt me," he said confidently, reminding her of their first promise.

She let out an angry growl as he carried her through Nakoma's hut and then they were out on the other side, back in the sunlight as they walked across another walkway.

"David…" she whined as they approached Cheauku's mother's house, desperate not to be carried inside in this manner. "Okay, I've learnt my lesson!" she said quickly. "I'll let you help me if I need it."

She sighed in relief as he stopped, gently lowering her back down to the ground. She glared up at him.

"You know, turning you into a frog, technically wouldn't be hurting you," she pointed out.

"Would you kiss me back into a prince?" he asked, still grinning widely. She sucked in a breath, her lips parting slightly in surprise.

"That would defeat the point of turning you in the first place," she murmured, now distracted by how close he was, by that naughty smile, by the way his eyes watched her so intensely. She took a deep breath, hoping the extra oxygen would help clear her tumbled thoughts and Charming's expression instantly changed, playfulness morphing into concern.

"Are you okay?" His hands were on her again, one steadying hand on her waist while the other slid to her jaw, his fingers finding her pulse. Regina shifted, uncomfortably aware of just how fast her heart was beating – and why.

"I'm fine," she said. "David," she reached her hand to his chest and his eyes met hers. "I'm fine," she repeated firmly.

"You shouldn't be out here," he fretted. "You should be resting."

"If I rested any longer dear, I'd likely die of boredom," Regina replied, shaking her head. His arms moved around her, pulling her against him, and before she knew what was happening he was holding her tightly, his head resting against hers.

"Just promise me you're going to be okay. I can't go through that again," he whispered into her hair.

"I promise," Regina murmured after a moment, giving in and resting her head against his chest. She closed her eyes, soaking in the feeling. She didn't want him to let go, she didn't want to lose the feeling of being safe and wanted and cared for. She didn't want to lose _him_, she realised suddenly. He felt like a life-line, the first one she had ever been thrown, someone to hold her up when she no longer had the strength to do so.

"What are you two doing?" Cheauku's voice called out in frustration. David made a sound akin to a growl as Regina pulled away from him reluctantly, smiling.

"Alright, we're coming," she said, turning her head back to address the impatient young man waiting for them at the entrance to his mother's house. Huffing in annoyance, Cheauku turned and disappeared once more. Regina turned back to David, tilting her head slightly as she stared up at him. "By the way, I never said thank you," she said quietly. "For saving my life."

He leaned forwards, surprising her as he kissed her forehead tenderly. "You never needed to."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_**A/N: Huge thank you to t3ars0fglass, letgolaughing, onlywithlove, Anny Rodrigues, Natali Rempel Drews, bloodymary2, freedomqueen, Supabec, Grace de Gold, katie, Mary, Guest and Keyhlan for your awesome reviews. I reeeaallly hope you'll all still be with me after this next chapter… :/**_

She held out her hands, palms upwards, meeting Nakoma's dark eyes with curiosity as the old woman took them and carefully examined them. She was back in the old woman's house, breathing in the clogged, smoke and herb filled air, with David acting as her sentinel seated closely beside her.

"What exactly are you looking for?" she asked, after several moments of silence had passed between them. Nakoma lifted her gaze, smiling gently.

"I'm just looking," she said simply. "May I see your magic?"

Regina hesitated, memories of the pain that had followed using her magic with the ink in her system quickly surfacing. She took a breath, feeling the weight of David's worried gaze upon her as she summoned her power. Purple light suffused her palms and she released her breath again in a slow exhale of relief. Unbidden, she found her gaze flickering to David, the relief she felt reflected in his blue eyes.

"Strange…" Nakoma muttered, dragging Regina's attention back to her. Experimentally, the woman dipped a wrinkled finger into one of the shimmering purple orbs of light. "I've never felt magic like this before."

"What do you mean?" Regina gave a confused shake of her head, her brows furrowed as she stared down at the twin floating purple lights above her hands.

"It's powerful," the old woman said quietly. "Pure too. But you're using it all wrong," she added, lifting her gaze to Regina's and giving her a chastising look.

"Wrong?" Regina echoed in confusion. How many ways were there to use magic? You pulled it from the air around you and bent it to your will. Sure there were dozens of uses for magic, but the basic way to use it didn't change from spell to spell.

"Did someone teach you?" Nakoma prodded.

"Yes," Regina said slowly, watching as the old woman shook her head disparagingly.

"Better had you learnt it alone," she muttered. "Your kind of magic cannot be taught."

"How do you know all of this?" Regina asked, pulling her hands away abruptly. The light of her magic disappeared, leaving the room suddenly darker in its wake.

Nakoma shrugged one shoulder, her eyes dark as coals in the gloom. "I was not born with the gift of magic itself, but I am sensitive to it. I can feel it, like wind against my skin. I can feel it in the air around us, and I can feel it strongly within you. You are much more powerful than you know Regina. You could do so much…" Regina stiffened, the words echoed suddenly in Rumplestiltskin's voice. Nothing good had followed those words. She stood up suddenly, a wave of dizziness following the sharp movement. "I've said something wrong," Nakoma noted curiously, her eyes following her.

"I already have more power than I need," Regina said, her voice dropping coldly. "And there's nothing more that I need to do with it."

She was done being someone's pawn. She was done using her magic for other people's gains. Whatever Nakoma wanted from her, she wasn't going to get it. Angry now, she turned around, walking swiftly out of the suffocating darkness of the hut and back out into the afternoon light.

"Regina!" David caught up to her moments later. He reached for her and she flinched away from his touch. "Hey, hey," he reached for her again, this time catching her arm and tugging on it until she stopped and turned to face him. "Come on," he said softly, stepping closer to her. "Let me in. I'm on your side remember?"

Hot, angry tears pushed their way forwards, clouding her vision. She dropped her gaze to the slatted wooden floor between them, trying to hide it. Almost immediately David's hand was cupping her jaw, forcing her head back up, forcing her to look at him. His thumb caught her first tear as it fell.

"I'm so sick of being used," she whispered. "I'm sick of people looking at me and only seeing what they can get out me."

"You think that's what she wants?" David asked, inclining his head back towards the hut. His voice was gentle, the question said without any inflection indicating that he disagreed with the statement. He was merely trying to figure out what was going through her head. The terrifying thing, Regina realised suddenly, was that he was already more inside her head than anyone had been in decades. It felt like she could say anything to him and he would understand it.

"No. Yes… I don't know," more tears fell as she stumbled through her words. "I just know that anyone who ever cared about my magic wasn't to be trusted. I never wanted it," she added, shaking her head. "I didn't want to be this way. I didn't want to be this…"

"Shh," he hushed her, pulling her into his arms, his lips pressing against her hair in a soft kiss. She buried her head into his neck, her breathing ragged as she struggled to calm herself down. Magic was the energy that had nurtured the Evil Queen; that had enabled her to kill hundreds of people without any effort at all. And now she had found out that she possessed even more of it than she had previously thought. What kind of destruction could she wreak if she learnt how to use it? Power could only be corrupted in her hands. She didn't want it. She wanted to be better, the kind of person who deserved to have a son as good and caring as Henry, the kind of person who could earn the friendship and trust of a man like David.

"You're in control of your magic," David said, his words murmured gently against her. "You decide what you do with it Regina. And I know you'll make the right choices… How powerful you are doesn't change that."

She pulled back slightly, meeting his gaze, wondering how on earth they had ended up this way, how it was possible for Prince Charming to be holding her in his arms and looking at her in a way that made her feel like she actually mattered. She wondered if he could feel it too, this inexplicable pull between them. And the more she opened up, the more she let him in, the stronger the pull became. She kept waiting for her self-defence mechanisms to kick in – for her mind to scream at her that he was getting too close – but it never came. He made her feel calm and safe and without consciously having decided to, Regina found that she already trusted him.

"How can you say that, when all the choices I've made before were so wrong?" she asked, the words a quiet whisper of regret. She wasn't blind to the destruction that she had left in her wake, or the lives she had destroyed.

"Because this time you have me," he said simply. "And I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you out of the darkness. You're going to be okay."

She dropped her head again, resting it against his shoulder. "Damn you," she mumbled, eliciting a soft laugh from the prince.

"Why?" he asked, amused.

"Because when you say that, I kind of believe you."

She lifted her head, finding him smiling down at her. He lifted his hand to her face, wiping away the last tell-tale traces of her tears, his calloused fingers gentle against her soft skin. Her dark eyes lingered softly on his face as he did, committing his features to memory. She didn't want to forget the way he was looking at her now, so softly and tenderly, in case she never saw that expression directed towards her again.

"Come on," he said suddenly, oblivious to her thoughts as he reached out to take her hand. "There's something I want to show you. Feel up to climbing?"

"Climbing?" she arched a brow as he turned, before falling into step beside him, her attention half distracted by the fact that her hand was now trapped within his.

He gave her a scrutinizing look, eagerness lapsing briefly into worry as he regarded her, no doubt wondering if she was strong enough for such a feat.

"I'm fine," she said automatically, repeating the mantra she had been saying all day. "I just want to know where you're planning on taking me Charming." She kept her voice deliberately light and playful, hoping to snap him out of his overprotective mode. A moment later he seemed to relax again, and he gestured lazily towards the tree in the centre of the village.

"See that?"

"It's hard not to dear," she responded immediately, earning her an eye-roll from the prince walking beside her. She bit her lip to hide her smile. "Yes," she said, with exaggerated patience. "I see it. It's a tree."

It was different from all the other trees in the village, its trunk larger and heavier, and a wide wooden platform had been constructed around it, acting as a sort of gathering place. A few stray villagers were scattered around it, chatting idly in small groups.

"See how high it goes?" David prompted her. Regina's brown eyes lifted, following the trunk upwards until it disappeared amidst the canopy of leaves overhead. "There's a second platform higher up," David explained.

"The view must be incredible," Regina murmured, her thoughts instantly snapping to Peter Pan's fortress. They should be close enough to see it, if they got high enough. She stopped, turning to glance up at David. "Let's go check it out."

She allowed him to lead the way across the wooden walkways, from tree to tree, until they had reached the central platform tree. A few of the villagers lifted their heads at their approach, smiling at them in welcome. Regina smiled back a little uncertainly, unused to being treated with such friendliness from strangers. She felt David squeeze her hand.

"Over there," he murmured, pointing to the tree trunk. Walking closer, Regina noted for the first time the wooden stepladder that had been secured to one side of the tree. She craned her head back, staring up to where she could see the base of the second platform, high above her head. Letting go of David's hand, she reached out and stepped onto the first rung, grateful that she still hadn't bothered putting her shoes back on. She pulled herself up onto the second rung slowly, testing her own strength. She felt fine. Her magic had done wonders to restore her health. She glanced over her shoulder, giving David a reassuring smile.

"Come on," she said, glancing upwards again. She pulled herself up faster, grinning as she heard David groan in frustration.

"Not so fast," he said exasperatedly, climbing up after her. She ignored him, concentrating only on each rough wooden handhold as she gripped and climbed, feeling the muscles in her arms starting to take strain from the unfamiliar use.

Sunlight spilled across her face as she reached the second platform and pulled herself onto it. She blinked, momentarily blinded, before the spots cleared and her dark eyes fell upon the seemingly never ending vista of green jungle that surrounded her, and the incredible sunset that painted the sky.

"Wow," she heard David murmur, as he stepped up behind her. "This place is amazing."

Regina turned, finding that the wide wooden platform was empty save for the two of them. Slowly she began to walk around its circumference.

"I can't believe more people aren't up here," she said.

"I guess they're used to the view," David called back, his blue eyes following her as she circled the tree. "Careful," he added warningly, as her circle brought her closer to the platform edge.

Regina glanced downwards at the dizzying drop beneath her feet, smiling mischievously as she considered scaring him a little. If she jumped off the edge, she was almost certain she could magic herself back to the platform before she hit the ground.

"Don't even think about it!" David said firmly, his footsteps loud against the wooden floor as he began to walk towards her. Regina turned to him, laughing quietly as he reached out, pulling her away from the edge.

"Think about what?" she asked innocently, lifting her brows and widening her eyes.

"Giving me a heart attack," he responded, shaking his head slightly. Laughing again, Regina turned back towards the edge, feeling his hand slide around her waist protectively to keep her from getting too close.

"Look," she pointed, her eyes falling upon the structure she had been searching for. "That's Peter's fortress."

She recognized it from Ben's memories, a ruined stone building overtaken by creeper and enclosed by the jungle. She sucked in a breath, her heart suddenly beating faster. "We could go there now. I can use magic to take us there. We could get Henry and…" she trailed off as David suddenly spun her around, her head tilting up to look at him questioningly.

"You promised me a day," he reminded her.

She had made that promise when she had first awoken, when she had still felt like death itself and had been certain she wouldn't be able to stand, let alone walk out of this village, within a day.

"I'm fine!" Regina hissed in frustration. "I don't need to rest anymore. David my son is in that place! You can't ask me to leave him there another night."

"Yesterday I wasn't sure if you were going to live or die. I don't care how well you're feeling Regina, we both know that if we go into that fortress, it's going to be a fight to get Henry out."

"I can handle it…"

"And if you can't?" he cut across her, his voice rising in anger. "If you're not strong enough, if something happens to you… Do you honestly think Henry could survive seeing you die? Do you think I could?"

"David please," she begged.

"Tomorrow morning," he bargained. "Henry's a strong kid, he'll last one more night. Just wait until tomorrow morning, please."

She turned her head back towards the distant fortress, her eyes narrowing as she watched several dark figures floating through the sky towards it. Lost Boy's returning home, no doubt. And each of those boys carried weapons tipped with Mermaid's Ink, she remembered suddenly.

"First light," she agreed reluctantly, her heart sinking. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. If she went in there before she was completely recovered, she may well end up getting herself killed, and Henry too. She turned her head back towards David, dark eyes meeting light fiercely. "First light," she repeated firmly. "No later."

"He's going to be okay," David whispered.

"He'd better be," Regina replied. If he wasn't, this world would be nothing but rubble and ash by the next sunset. She would make sure of it.

…

"Rumple!" Snow yelled, impatience thrumming through her veins as she stared at the immortal Dark One pacing in front of her. "What is the problem? The fortress is right over there!" she said, gesturing with one hand in the general direction of the ruined building. "Henry is _right _over there! Let's go!"

He ignored her, much as he had been for the better part of the past hour, continuing to pace restlessly and muttering to himself.

"This can't be it. There must be another way…"

"Another way to do what?" Snow demanded, knowing full well she wasn't about to get an answer. The imp was deep inside his own head, and whatever thoughts he was having seemed to have sent him into a stricken panic. She had never seen him this way before. She hadn't even known it was possible for the Dark One to look so unsettled.

"Rumplestiltskin…" she dragged out his name, hoping to catch his attention, but he continued to pace relentlessly, his face twisted with worry.

"I have no choice. There is no choice…"

"No choice?" Snow echoed in frustration. What the hell was going on with him? If he had finally lost the last of his sanity he had picked a damn perfect moment to do it, Snow thought sarcastically, shaking her head slightly in disbelief as she continued to stare at him. They were so close. So close. The damn fortress was just within reach. She turned to stare at it, past the last few trees that separated them from the rough, tumbled grass gardens. She was desperate to simply leave the imp and continue forwards alone, but she was both weaponless and powerless and she doubted she would last very long in such a state against Peter Pan himself.

As she was staring, several dark figures appeared in the sky overhead. They floated slowly downwards towards the fortress, and as they landed in the overgrown garden beyond the trees, Snow realised for the first time that there wasn't only children in the group.

"Emma!" she gasped, unconsciously taking a step towards her daughter. Her gaze dipped, following the hand that Emma had wrapped around a smaller figure's shoulder as the Lost Boy's began to order them inside the fortress. "Henry!" she breathed. "Gold!" she turned towards him desperately. "They're here! Henry and Emma!" And Hook, not that she particularly cared about the fate of the pirate. "I just saw them!"

Her words finally did the trick, snapping him out of his inner musings. He walked towards her, his brown eyes shifting past her to watch as the boy's shepherded their three prisoners inside.

"We have to go after them! Come on!" Snow said desperately, frustration and impatience clawing at her insides.

"Regina wasn't there?" he asked quietly, his words tinged with defeat.

"No, no she wasn't…" Snow trailed off suddenly, momentarily distracted by the realisation that Regina and David were now the only two left unaccounted for. What if they were together? Rumplestiltskin's words had left a sickened, hollow feeling inside her stomach and try as she might she couldn't shake it away.

_She's the Evil Queen to him, nothing more_, she tried to reassure herself. _He hates her. _

"Come along then," Gold muttered, turning the tables and dragging _her_ out of her troubled musings. Snow fell into step beside him as they walked out of the shadow of the trees, into the overgrown grass and the evening twilight. They had barely made it twenty paces into the garden before a shadowy figure emerged suddenly before them, cloaked in dark rags, darkness filling the hood where its face should have been. Snow flinched backwards in fear, but Rumplestiltskin stood his ground, calmly lifting his hand into the air. A bolt of electricity arced between his palm and the Screamer, white light so bright that it left Snow momentarily blinded in its wake. The creature howled in agony, the material of its cloak fluttering soundlessly around it as it floated swiftly backwards, hovering a wary distance away.

Gold summoned another orb of light to his palm and the Screamer made a low, piercing wail, the sound so strange and terrifying it had Snow falling to her knees in the grass. She'd never seen one of these creatures so close. She pressed her hands over her ears, sobbing, her body shaking as yet more shadowy figures filled the air around them, circling menacingly. Cursing angrily, Gold cast his spell at the same Screamer he had hit the first time, and this time his magic succeeded in pulling it down, turning it into dust as it wailed its last. But the rest of the Screamers were now pressing in close and fast, more of them than Snow could count, each of them filling the air with low cries that built into piercing inhuman screams.

"Stop!" a voice called out and at once the Screamers fell silent, shifting apart and revealing a blonde haired boy standing on top of the stone steps that led into the entrance of the fortress. Two boys stood beside him, each carrying a torch of burning light, warding away the encroaching evening darkness. Snow blinked, staring at the boy for just a moment, before her mind caught up and realised that he was holding someone in his grasp. Her green eyes dropped, a gasp of horror escaping her as she caught sight of her grandson, and the blade that Peter Pan held against his throat.

"I've been waiting for you Dark One," Peter said, in a voice that could almost be described as friendly.

"Only a fool would toy with the Dark One, boy," Rumplestiltskin responded, his voice low with warning. "Now let my grandson go."

Peter chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Now why would I do that, when he's the one thing stopping you from killing me?"

"Give him and your other prisoners to us, and we'll let you live," Snow said quickly, futilely hopeful that this could end without bloodshed. "No one will harm you."

"I have spent over a hundred years searching for this child," Peter said, smiling down at Henry dangerously. "I'm not about to let him go."

"Why him?" Snow asked, confused.

"Because of the prophesy of course," Peter said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You know about the prophesy," Gold said, the air escaping his lungs in a long, slow exhale. Snow stared at him, fear growing inside of her at the look on his face. He looked suddenly old, and tired, and defeated. As though all the fight inside of him had died, as though he had already given up.

"This boy is to be your undoing Rumplestiltskin," Peter Pan said, his voice low and menacing. "Surely you already know the choice you have to make? Give me your dagger, or Henry dies."

"No!" Henry yelled, speaking up for the first time, his eyes wide and frightened. "Don't do it! You can defeat him! Don't give him what he wants… Grandpa please no!"

"Don't be a fool Rumplestiltskin," Peter called out, speaking over Henry's frantic yells. "If you reach for your magic, my Screamers will know, and Henry will be dead before you can do anything about it." Reinforcing his statement, he pressed his blade a little tighter against Henry's throat. The tip pushed against Henry's fair skin, a single droplet of blood escaping the small cut and sliding down his neck. Snow felt her stomach heave in fear. This wasn't happening. This could not be happening…

"What could you possibly want with my power?" Rumplestiltskin yelled, frustration filling his gaze as he stared across at his grandson. "Don't you have enough?" he gestured towards the army of shadows filling the air around them.

"I have power, yes," the blonde boy said simply. "But I'm trapped. I'm trapped on this island, trapped inside this pathetic little world. If I leave, you see, I'll grow old. And that's not something that's ever going to happen to me. With your power, I won't need this world's magic to keep me young. I'll be immortal forever. There are hundreds of worlds out there just waiting for my Screamers to conquer them, and your magic is the key. Now, give me your dagger!"

This wasn't happening, Snow thought again, her mind spinning as she watched Rumplestiltskin. The old man hesitated for a moment and Peter dragged his blade slightly against Henry's neck in a silent warning. The boy whimpered slightly, his face scrunching at the pain, more dark red blood trickling down his pale skin.

The sound seemed to do Rumplestiltskin in. His hand dipped into the pocket of his coat and Snow's eyes widened as she realised he had been carrying the dagger along with him all this time. Of course, she realised a moment later, when they'd left Storybrooke they'd all been certain they would never be able to return. The protection spell he had left with Belle would prevent it. No doubt he hadn't wanted to leave his most precious possession somewhere he would never be able to reach it again.

"This isn't over," Rumplestiltskin warned him, opening his hand and offering the dagger. "I may not be the one who destroys you, but trust me when I say, your end approaches swiftly."

"You mean the other magic user?" Peter asked jadedly, blue eyes watching intensely as one of his Screamers moved to pluck the dagger out of Rumplestiltskin's hand. The shadowy figure floated up to its master, offering him the blade. He picked it up, examined it briefly and smiled. "My Shadow felt his magic in the jungle. He's powerful," the boy shrugged. "But if he makes himself known, I'll kill him."

"_Her,_" Rumplestiltskin corrected him. "And underestimating her is the last thing you'll ever do."

"Enough of this," Peter pushed Henry away suddenly, sending him stumbling forwards, and dropping the bloodied blade he'd held against his neck. It fell with a clatter to the ground. "I order you to approach me Dark One," he said, holding the dagger outwards.

Snow moved forwards, grabbing Henry as he ran towards her, feeling the boy shake and tremble in her grasp.

"Close your eyes," she whispered against his hair, watching as Rumplestiltskin steadily climbed the steps towards the blonde haired boy. The shadowy Screamers pressed in closer around him, filling the air with keening cries of anticipation. "Whatever you do, don't open them."

"We have to do something," Henry sobbed softly against her. "We have to stop them."

Peter's hand lifted to the air, the dagger in his grip shining brightly in the flickering orange light of the torches. Snow closed her eyes as he suddenly thrust the blade downwards, wincing as she heard Rumpletsiltskin gasp a pain-filled breath. She forced her eyes open again in time to see him collapse to the ground, blood pouring from the wound in his chest. His body fell down the stone steps, rolling until he reached the bottom, coming to lie face down in the grass a few feet away from her. Green eyes lifted to Peter and to the now bloodied blade he held. He rubbed the dagger against his thigh, wiping the blood away, and as he lifted it to the light, two new words were freshly embossed onto the blade.

_Peter Pan. _

_**A/N: So…. Ummmm… I really hope none of you were reading this for Rumplestiltskin. I'm going to go and hide now. Don't hate me for killing him. It had to be done, I swear. **_

_**Also, I know this may make it seem like the story is nearing its end, but trust me when I say we are no-where near finished. There is still a long way to go and I hope you're all going to carry on reading!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_**A/N: Sorry about the wait guys! I had two crazy exams really close together last week and I have been barely sleeping trying to study for them. Your responses for the last chapter were amazing! I cannot believe how supportive and encouraging you guys are – it really makes this story so much easier to write. Thank you to Metope, Grace de Gold, CoccinelleMenthol, Chelseadaggz, Hatjkva, PrincessMiss, freedomqueen, Anny Rodrigues, t3ars0fglass, reina108, onlywithlove, bloodymary2, Morgauza, Caro, katie, EvilQueen225, fifitrixiebelle, Natali Rempel Drews, darlingsweetiedarling, OhMyGubex, Guest, Keyhlan and addictedtolove92. I cannot believe this story has nearly a hundred reviews! You guys are epic! **_

_**The next chapter is already half written so hopefully the next update won't take so long :).**_

"After all this time," Peter whispered, staring reverently down at the blade in his hands. Henry stared up at him from the safety of Snow's arms, not feeling very safe at all. If Rumpletsiltskin, the all powerful Dark One, could be slain, then what hope was there for the rest of them? "You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this. How long I have planned for this," Peter continued, blue eyes meeting hazel as he stared down at Henry. "Thank you."

_My fault, _Henry thought, his stomach twisting violently. His gaze dropped to the still figure of his grandfather lying on the ground between them. This was his fault. Gold had died for him, _because_ of him.

"What of the other one?" a Lost Boy asked him, stepping closer to Peter. "The other magic user?"

"Don't you understand?" Peter's voice was loud as a whip, and carried across the still evening air. Henry felt Snow flinch, her grip around him tightening. "I am the most powerful being there is now," Peter continued, his voice calmer. "I am the immortal Dark One. With this," he held up the dagger. "We will have entire worlds bowing at our feet. Neverland is but a speck on the map. There are so many other worlds to claim!"

"The beans are ready to be harvested whenever you wish to leave," the boy responded with a feral grin, bowing his head slightly.

"Not yet, not yet," Peter whispered. "We must be prepared first. And you're right; I cannot leave any loose ends behind."

He turned his head, staring into the darkness of the surrounding gardens. A moment later a shadow detached itself from the night. For a moment it was only a shadow, a flicker of the dark, and then it seemed to shift and blink, and suddenly it had a form and shape, and two burning coals of blue light for eyes. It hovered at the edge of light and darkness, staring across at its master.

"You've felt her magic before," Peter said. "Find her. And if you cannot bring me back her corpse, bring her back here so that I can kill her myself."

"No!" Henry screamed, thrashing in Snow's grasp.

Peter turned towards Henry again, blue eyes shining with interest. With a single graceful bound he leapt over the stone steps that separated them, floating over Rumplestiltskin's body and coming to rest on the ground before Henry.

"Leave him alone," Snow threatened, her voice trembling slightly.

Ignoring her, Peter reached forwards, cupping Henry's face in his hand. "Who is she to you Henry?" Peter whispered, bending slightly so that he could search his gaze. "Is she your mother?"

Tears flooded Henry's eyes and he averted his eyes, saying nothing.

Peter smiled. "This _will _make things easier then," he murmured. He straightened, his gaze hardening. "Lost Boy's don't have mothers, Henry. You'll learn that soon enough. Take them away," he ordered, turning around and walking back up the stone steps towards his fortress. Two of the Lost Boys moved forwards.

"Come with us," one of them said jadedly, motioning towards the fort. "You can join your friends in the tower."

Snow gave him a nudge to get him moving and he fell into step beside them, his gaze dropping to his feet as he walked.

He tried to disappear, he tried to slink back into the recesses of his mind and leave the world around him behind. But his mind was filled with memories he didn't want to relive. Memories of Storybrooke, of happier times, of Mr Gold, alive and well… of his mother. _No, _he shook his head. He didn't want to think about his mother. He didn't want to think about what was going to happen to her.

_And if you cannot bring me back her corpse, bring her back here so that I can kill her myself, _Peter Pan's voice echoed in his mind. And she would. She would come for him. No matter how many times he had pushed her away, no matter how many times he had hurt her, she had never stopped trying. She had never given up on him. She would die for him. Just like his grandfather had.

_My fault. It's my fault. _

"Through there," one of the boys at his side muttered, pushing open a wooden door. He felt a light pressure against his shoulder as Snow gently guided him through. There was a hollow thud as it closed behind them.

"Henry!" Emma was in front of him suddenly, her hands reaching for him.

"Emma!" Snow let go of Henry as she reached for her daughter, and for a moment Henry was caught between them as they embraced. He pulled away roughly, flinching as Emma reached out to catch him.

"Kid…"

He made it to the nearest wall and slumped down against it, sliding down until his legs hit the ground.

"Emma," he heard Snow murmur and then her voice dropped and he could hear no more. He didn't need to hear anything to know what was being said. He closed his eyes again.

"No, no…" Emma's voice whispered. "That's not possible!"

"The Dark One is dead?" Killian's voice followed, louder. His statement was answered by two hissing noises as Emma and Snow tried to shush him. Henry didn't understand why. Whispering about Rumplestiltskin being dead was no different to saying it aloud. Either way he was still gone.

"Henry?" Emma's voice was closer now. He felt her hands cover his as she knelt before him. "Kid, can you look at me?"

He kept his eyes stubbornly closed. He didn't want to see her. He didn't want to see anyone. He wanted to disappear but it simply wasn't working.

"Henry?" she squeezed his hands. He jerked them out of her grip, turning his head to the side. The stone was cold as he rested his cheek against it. He felt Emma pull away.

"No, no I can't," he heard her whisper, standing once again next to Snow. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help him…"

"You're his mother Emma," Snow's voice returned quietly.

"Not right now. I… I can't do this stuff. I'm not the mother he needs right now."

She sounded lost and hurt, and if Henry hadn't been trying to cope with too much of his own pain, he might have opened his eyes and tried to reassure her. But she was right. He wanted his other mother. The one who had been soothing his pain since before he could remember. The one who would know instinctively that he didn't need words right now, he just needed someone to hold him and tell him that this wasn't his fault.

Even though it was.

But he couldn't want Regina. He couldn't want her there because if she came for him, she would die. And he wouldn't be able to survive that.

"Henry?" It was Hook's voice in front of him now, and a moment later he felt a hand take his shoulder and shake him firmly. "Henry look at me."

"Hook, leave him alone!" Emma snapped.

"If neither of you are going to help him then I will," the pirate responded coolly. "Listen to me lad. I know that you're upset. Your grandfather may not have mattered to me, but he was important to you. But this was not your fault."

Henry's eyes opened at the words, his head slowly turning to meet Killian's blue gaze.

"This was not your fault," the pirate repeated. "There was nothing you could have done. But right now, there is something you can do. And if you don't help us, the rest of us could very well die."

"Hook!" Emma snarled his name, taking a step closer to them. "Stop that! Don't put that kind of pressure on him!"

"How?" Henry whispered, ignoring her. "How can I help you guys?"

Killian smiled, nodding his head slightly in approval. "You see that window over there?" he asked, gesturing to the arched opening in the stone wall. Henry glanced across at it, staring out at the patch of dark sky he could see from his position on the ground.

"What about it?" he mumbled.

"Well, I think you could fit through there quite easily don't you?"

Henry's face scrunched in confusion. Why would he want to jump through the window? They were in the tower, too high to jump… his eyes widened suddenly, realisation striking him.

"I can fly," he whispered, turning his head back to Killian. The pirate nodded his head, grinning.

"You can fly."

…

The sound of muted whimpers roused him from his own fitful sleep. David opened his eyes, staring up at the shadow filled roof of Nakoma's tree house. For a moment he held himself still, blinking in confusion as he tried to gather his senses, listening to the distant sounds of the Screamers filling the night air, punctuated by the closer, whimpering sounds of fear a little to his left.

_Regina. _

A familiar wave of protectiveness rose up within him as he sat up suddenly, looking over to where the brunette was curled up on a fur pelt a small distance away.

_Safe, _he thought, breathing out a soft sigh. It was only a nightmare. Her features were contorted with fear, her fingers curled into tight fists against her chest. She made another little cry of fear and David found himself moving towards her instinctively. He settled down beside her, his hand sliding up her arm in a gentle caress.

"Regina?" he whispered, careful fingers moving to brush a lock of dark hair away from her face. She stirred at the touch, taking a shuddery breath as her eyes flew open. "Shh, it's just me," he murmured, waiting while panic faded to recognition and she slowly relaxed.

"Sorry," she breathed out, shaking her head slightly as she pulled herself out of the grips of her dream. "Did I wake you?"

"Doesn't matter," he replied gently. "Are you okay?"

Her head dropped back down to the grey fur pelt beneath her and she nodded slightly. "It was only a nightmare," she whispered, her eyes now level with his chest.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered.

She gave a slight shake of her head, still not meeting his gaze. He resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her and pull her close, knowing that by all rights he should have moved back to his own makeshift bed already. He was married. Sleeping with Regina, even in the most literal sense of the term, was not allowed.

_Thinking about kissing her isn't allowed either, _he thought, _and you've been doing that since you gave her the cure. _

"Is it morning yet?" she murmured after a time, her eyelashes fluttering as she fought the pull of sleep.

"No, go back to sleep," he soothed her gently. She made a small, sleepy sound, her eyes falling shut again and her breathing evening out as she slipped back into oblivion. He watched her, unwilling to move, unable to leave her side and cursing himself for it all the while. He hadn't intended for this to happen. He hadn't even thought it was possible. But watching her now, David knew he couldn't deny what he was feeling any longer. It was messy and confusing as hell, but it was also too powerful to be ignored.

_You can't love her, it's not possible, _he told himself._ Snow is your true love. Nothing is supposed to be able to come between that. _

It would have been easier if Regina had been trying to seduce him, as she had once done during the curse. At least that way she would be partially to blame, he thought. But she seemed to have no idea at all. She was completely innocent in this, while he was the one constantly contemplating pulling her against him and kissing her senseless.

He groaned softly, squeezing his eyes shut briefly as he tried to get his thoughts under control.

The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. She had given him her trust, and as fragile and uncertain as that trust was, he knew just how easily he could shatter it. He wanted her to feel safe with him, he wanted her to know that she had someone she could rely on completely, someone who wasn't going to cause her pain… but he also _wanted_ her. The fierce protectiveness that had grown for the woman he had once sworn to destroy had come hand in hand with an equal share of desire.

Since she had awoken from the ink poisoning, she seemed to have dropped her guard around him completely. Those deep dark eyes that had once seemed so empty and cold to him, now seemed warm and bright when he looked into them. And every time she smiled, or laughed, or bared a little more of her soul to him, he found himself falling even harder for her. The woman that was hidden beneath the Evil Queen was someone incredible, and he wasn't willing to lose her.

Giving in, he found himself moving forwards, draping an arm around her waist as he pulled her in closer. She roused slightly, mumbling something unintelligible and she nuzzling her head into his chest, before falling back asleep. He couldn't understand how something that should be causing him to feel guilty, could instead make him feel so complete. It was as though everything had settled inside of him, as though nothing else mattered while he had her in his arms.

_Tomorrow_, he decided sleepily, closing his eyes. Once they had Henry back safely. He would decide what had to be done then.

…

She woke as suddenly as though someone had screamed in her ear, her heart pounding against her ribcage. For a moment nothing made sense – the stuffy, herb scented air that surrounded her, the hard, unforgiving floor and the prickly fur pelt beneath her, and most confusing of all, the strong arms holding her securely against a muscled chest. She blinked, confused, tilting her head up to find David's face just inches from her own.

"David?" she called, whispering without knowing why. Something was wrong. She could feel it. Something was very wrong. She tried wriggling backwards, only to find that David's arms reflexively tightened around her as she tried to shift away. Over protective even in his sleep, she thought in frustration. She lifted her hand, tentative fingers brushing against his stubbled jaw. He stirred at her touch, blue eyes flickering open sleepily.

"Hey," he mumbled, smiling down at her.

"Let me go," she said urgently.

"Wha…Oh…" he seemed to suddenly realise that he had her in his arms. "I'm sorry, I…" he began, loosening his grip on her. She was on her feet in an instant, moving towards the doorway. "Regina!" David's panicked voice followed her as she strode out the open door and into the still night air.

_Almost dawn_, she thought, her eyes sweeping restlessly around her. The sky was more indigo than black, shadows were growing as the light crept back into the world.

"Regina!" his hand caught her arm, releasing her an instant later. "You were having a nightmare… I woke you… Don't you remember?"

She spun around suddenly, pressing her hand against his lips. "Quiet!" she hissed.

Something was wrong. She turned her head, searching the spaces between the tree trunks that surrounded them frantically. Calloused fingers found her chin a moment later, forcing her to look back at David. He pulled her hand away from his lips with his other hand, holding onto her for a moment longer before releasing her hand again.

"I think you were having another nightmare," he said gently. "Come on, come back to bed."

"No, David… Trust me," she said desperately.

_There! _

She felt it suddenly, a prickle at the edge of her awareness. She drew on her magic, reaching out into the forest around her, searching… She whirled around as she felt the foreign magic sweep towards her in a sudden, violent rush. A shadow detached itself from the darkness, rushing towards her in a dark blur. She didn't have time to think, her hand was automatically lifting to defend herself, a spell flickering at her fingertips as David's hands found her waist and shoved her aside. She fell to her hands and knees on the creaking wooden walkway, twisting her neck in time to see the shadow slam into David instead, sending him tumbling over the rope railing and hurtling towards the ground below. Her hand flicked towards him, the magic at her fingers flowing forwards to catch him before he hit the ground. She pushed herself to her feet, another bolt of magic flying from her hand towards the shadow as it circled back to her. The dark figure twisted aside, dodging the purple light. A ghostly hand flew towards her and she gasped as a blast of shadowy magic struck her. Her knees buckled, her teeth snapping together as her jaw clenched in pain.

"Regina!" David yelled up at her, somewhere from the ground below.

"I'm a little busy, dear," she called back, summoning a fireball into her palm. The shadow hung back, the blue orbs of light which passed for eyes in its featureless face watching the flame warily. "Come at me you bastard," she snarled, pushing more of her magic into the fire. Bright orange light coloured the forest around her, chasing the shadows – both the living one and the lifeless ones – backwards. The shadow moved its hand again, sending another blast of its magic sweeping towards her. She felt it claw at the magic in her palm, the fire flickering violently as she fought to keep it alight. The struggle lasted only moments, in which time the shadow seemed to decide that playing fair was not worth the effort. He turned around, abandoning his efforts to extinguish the fire in her palm.

"Aah!" a moment later, David was suddenly flung into the air, dark, shadowy bands wrapping around him.

"David!"

The shadow itself was wrapping around him now, hiding behind him, smothering him in darkness. She caught herself a moment before she let her fireball fly, realising in aggravation that she couldn't attack the shadow without hurting David. The shadow was using him as a shield. Dark bands wrapped around his mouth, his nose, smothering him, his eyes, blinding him…

"Screamer!" a voice yelled. Regina's eyes flickered briefly towards the source, finding a villager standing at the entrance to a tree house a short distance away.

_Not a screamer, _she thought. This creature was silent. It was a shadow, Peter Pan's shadow, if she was not mistaken.

The shadow flicked his hand again, and the villager too was consumed by bands of darkness.

"Stop," she breathed, her head whipping back towards David as he began to gasp and choke for air.

She couldn't attack the shadow without attacking David. She couldn't stand by or he would die regardless.

Think! _Think!_

He slumped, his body going limp in the grasp of the shadow, and everything inside of Regina went cold. She couldn't lose him.

_I'll see this place in ashes first, _she thought, the familiar threat rising to mind in her panic. Her eyes went wide in realisation. It was time to make good on that threat.

Dark eyes flickered upwards, to the canopy of leaves overhead. Purple light sufficed her irises, and without moving her hand, flames spontaneously burst to life among the branches.

Normal flames would not have spread so quickly amidst the green leaves, but this was magical fire and it needed only Regina's panic and fury to fuel it, of which she had an abundance. Within seconds the canopy above her was a roof of fire. The shadow writhed away, hissing in fury as it released its grip on David, allowing him to drop like a stone to the ground.

The world around her dissolved into sensations.

The crackle and hiss of the fire, the orange glow that filled the air, the heat of the flames against her skin… She knew she had to douse the flames or the entire village would be destroyed, but in that moment, nothing mattered but David. Her magic caught him just before he hit the ground. She grabbed the rope along the walkway, sliding under it and dropping several feet to the ground. She landed with a thud, catching herself on her hands, her fingers scrabbling at the dirt beneath her as she pushed herself up again. Screams and shouts filled the air as the villagers were roused by the fire. She ignored it, focusing only on the still form lying on the ground before her.

"David?" she dropped to her knees at his side. Her fingers fumbled as she reached out to touch his face. Purple light flickered at her fingertips, sinking into his skin. She cradled his face between her hands and leaned in closer, desperately searching for any sign of life.

"David!" she repeated his name, a note of panic in her voice. Behind her, there was a_ whoosh _as the straw roof of a tree house went up in flames. "_David!_"

His blue eyes flickered open, dazed and disconcerted.

"Why are you yelling?" he mumbled.

Relief rushed through her like a tidal wave. Dizzied with adrenaline, she dropped her head, her nose bumping against his as she rested their foreheads together. Another scream dragged her attention back to the burning village above her and with an idle wave of her hand the flames died away.

Ash floated in the air around her, falling down in dainty flakes as she returned her attention to the man lying before her.

"It's gone," she whispered shakily.

"You saved me," he murmured back, his hand lifting to cup her cheek. She smiled.

"I figured I owed you. Come on," she stood up, holding her hand out towards him. He took it, allowing her to pull him to his feet.

"Where are we going?" he asked, as she spun around and began to walk to the nearest laddered tree.

"You don't know a message when you see one?" she asked over her shoulder. "That was Peter Pan's shadow. And he came here for a reason."

"It looked to me like he was after you," David said.

"Exactly," Regina nodded her head.

"So where are we going?" David repeated.

She lifted her hand, her index finger pointing to the ever lightening sky.

"It's first light. I think its time we paid Peter Pan a visit."


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: Sorry about the delay guys. As always, thank you to t3ars0fglass, bloodymary2, addictedtolove92, freedomqueen, Subabec, letgolaughing, Guest, EllieMayDay, Queen Nan, Natali Rempel Drews, Hatjkva and lachicarebelde22 for your reviews :)**_

Golden fingers of sunlight spilled over the orange horizon, casting brilliant shards of light upon the dark green canopy of jungle that stretched out far below. Emma leaned out of the window, her palms pressed against the cool stone as she anxiously searched the skies. Henry had been gone for what felt like hours now, and the knot of worry that had taken root within her chest at his departure had steadily grown into panic.

"If something happens to him…" she growled, not turning around. She could hear the sound of Killian's boots against the stone floor behind her as he paced. Mary Margaret was standing at her side, leaning against the wall, her green eyes burning holes into the side of her head as she stared. Whatever parental reassurances or advice she might have had, she thankfully was keeping to herself. Receiving motherly affection from a woman two years younger than her was still a struggle. Emma knew that technically wasn't the case, she knew that Snow had lived twenty eight years through the curse – those years simply weren't reflected in her features. But it was still hard to come to terms with. Usually she tried, for Mary Margaret's sake, but at this moment her son was in danger and she couldn't handle anything other than the stress of waiting for him to return. Heartfelt chats with Snow White were going to have to wait.

"He'll be fine," the pirate said, though his voice was strained with tension. "He's a smart lad. He'll be fine."

"This was your idea," Emma reminded him, for the umpteenth time.

"I'm aware," he muttered.

"If he gets hurt I swear Hook I will…" she trailed off suddenly, her breath catching in her throat as a small figure suddenly rose up along the side of the tower, rising swiftly until he reached the level of the window. "Henry!" she reached for him, eager to pull him back through the window and into the tower, but he pulled back, hovering in the air just beyond her reach. Emma withdrew her hand, trying to ignore the sting of pain that flashed through her.

_He's hurting, give him space, _she told herself, deliberately ignoring the empathetic look that Snow flashed her.

"Here," Henry tossed something towards her. She fumbled to catch it, her eyes widening as she glanced down at the metal key she held in her grasp. "That should unlock the door."

"Well c'mon then kiddo, lets go," Emma said, beckoning him closer.

He hesitated, his eyes dropping downwards. He lifted them again to meet her gaze. "My mom is down there."

"What?" Snow asked, moving forward suddenly, nudging Emma to the side to make room at the window sill. "Regina's here?"

"I overheard some of the boys talking, she's here."

"Well then come with us lad and we'll go find her," Killian said, walking over to them.

Henry shook his head slightly.

"Henry, no," Emma said, reaching further out of the window to reach him. "Kid, you can't…"

"I have to find her," Henry said quietly. "If he kills her it'll be my fault too."

Before she could stop him he had dropped again, diving away and towards the ground. Emma cursed, pulling back swiftly and turning towards the doorway.

"Emma…" Snow called after her, as she slid the metal key into the rusted lock and began to jiggle it.

"There's no time," she muttered. "Come on we have to get down there."

"Where?" Killian asked, falling in behind her as she pushed the door open and began striding down the hall.

"To Peter Pan," Emma said with surety. "That's where Regina will go."

"He'll probably be in the great hall then," the pirate nodded.

A door just ahead of them suddenly swung open, and two Lost Boys emerged in the corridor.

"Hey!" one of them said, eyes widening in surprise. "How did you get out?"

Hook moved forward suddenly, grabbing the first child and slamming him against the wall. Emma ran forwards, snatching the shirt of the second as he made to run. Neither of them could have been much older than Henry and they were both unarmed.

"Hey!" the boy in her grasp yelped, wriggling. "Lemmi go!"

"Not so fast," Emma said, shaking her head. "You're going to take us to Peter Pan."

"Or what?" the boy asked, meeting her gaze defiantly.

Emma motioned with her free hand to the pirate standing in front of her. "Or my friend Hook over there is going to show you how you got his name."

…

Henry flew in through one of the windows on the lower level of the fortress, landing silently on the cold stone floor. For a moment he glanced back at the sky, the sunlight helping to calm his shattered nerves. The light would chase the Screamers away, which was something at least.

_This way, _he thought, turning around. The grand hall was this way. That was where Peter would be. And he knew without a doubt that his mother would be trying to find Peter. He had to get to her first. He jogged down the passageway, in and out of the pools of sunlight cast through the open windows. Somewhere, distantly, he could hear the sound of yells and shouts. He stopped, turning his head back, wondering suddenly if Emma, Snow and Killian would be okay. He had just left them. Perhaps he should have stayed with them, but if he had, who would stop his mother from trying to fight Peter? She was going to get herself killed. He turned his head back, hazel eyes alighting on the heavy wooden door that led into the great hall. The other three would have to be okay. He couldn't let his mother die. He walked forward steadily, pushed the door open a crack, and slid inside the dark interior of the room. His fingers held onto the edge of the door, closing it as silently as he could, all the while he tried to accustom his eyes to the darkness. His view of the hall was obscured by the rows of heavy, twisted stone pillars that stood on either side of the crept forward, keeping to the shadow filled edges of the hall. Peter Pan was reclining on his throne, one hand supporting his chin on one armrest, his leg casually thrown over the other. His blue eyes were fixed, unseeing, on the entrance. There was a loud bang, and the two doors suddenly blew open, revealing Regina with David a step behind her. She began walking into the room, Prince Charming close at her heels as she strode down the length of the hall.

"At last," Peter said softly. "I've been waiting to meet you."

"Peter Pan?" his mom arched a brow, tilting her head slightly as she considered him. She had come to stand several feet away from the dais that held Peter's throne… several feet from Henry's hiding place. The urge to run to her was almost overwhelming.

"Frankly I'm a little disappointed," she said lightly. "I was expecting something a little more intimidating than a spoilt brat and his pet shadow."

"Were you expecting this?" Peter asked, lifting his dagger from his lap and holding it to the light. Henry watched his mother's face go still, her features settling into a mask he knew well – one she used when she was trying to hide an emotion she didn't want others to see.

"Where is Rumplestiltskin?" she breathed.

"I had the boys deal with his body – I can't say where he is exactly. I'm not one for petty details. _I'm _the Dark One now, that's all that you should care about."

David's hand moved forward, his fingers catching Regina's wrist. His expression was filled with fear and concern, and as she glanced back at him her mask seemed to slip for a moment, and Henry could see the answering emotions in her expression. For just a moment, she looked afraid. And then she was turning back to Peter, expressionless once more, and Henry was left wondering how on earth David had managed to crack her mask – no one else ever had before.

"Am I less of a disappointment to you now?" Peter whispered, his voice carrying across the nearly empty room. "Surely you know how formidable my powers are. But I don't need magic to deal with you. No… I have something better. Boys! Bring him forward."

Regina's head whipped to the side as a boy suddenly emerged from the shadows on the other side of the hall. He strode towards Peter's side, his expression twisted with anxiety.

Regina watched his expression as he whispered in Peter's ear.

"You FOOL!" Peter yelled suddenly, rising to his feet in a single graceful movement. He flung his hand out and the boy standing beside him went flying into one of the stone pillars supporting the hall.

Regina dipped her head down, and Henry watched in shock as her eyes suddenly took on a different colour. One moment they were their usual deep, dark shade of brown, the next they were a clear, vibrant shade of purple. She focused on the ground for a moment as Peter yelled abuse at the Lost Boy, and then, as suddenly as though Henry had called out to her, her eyes suddenly shifted, moving across the room to his shadowy hiding spot. Their eyes locked and held. Unconsciously he took a step towards her, the urge to be back in her arms now uncontrollable. He felt a soft, invisible tug at his clothes holding him back.

_Stay._

He jerked, his eyes going wide as his mother's soft voice filled his mind. He hadn't known she could do that. She watched him a moment longer before turning her head back to Peter, making a tsking noise of disapproval.

"Lost something?"

"Only your son," Peter snarled back. "Doesn't that worry you? He could be anywhere… Out in the jungle even. And there are more than Screamers that roam the dark."

"My son is a resourceful boy. And anywhere in the world is safer than in your care. If you don't have him then I suppose I'll simply kill you and be done with this mess."

Peter's face twisted into a mask of rage. "One does not simply kill the Dark One," he warned, lifting his hand in the air. Dark magic swirled around his fingers, like plumes of smoke and shadows.

"Regina…" David reached for her, his hand curling around her arm as she started to move forwards.

"Stay out of this," she said, not looking back at him. She jerked her arm free and began to walk the rest of the way to Peter Pan.

"Regina!" David yelled angrily, struggling as plumes of purple magic wrapped around his legs, holding him in place.

_What is she doing? _Henry wondered, his eyes flicking between the two of them worriedly.

Peter attacked first, lightning flashing towards her, cracking through the air like a whip. Regina lifted her hand, a wall of pale blue light forming briefly around her, protecting her from the electric force. Faster than Henry could track, she was retaliating, purple light flashing towards the Dark One. He countered it with a wave of his own magic, sending a ball of fire flying back at her, which she sidestepped away from at the last moment. Henry was holding his breath, unwilling to even blink as his eyes flickered between them, watching as they traded magical blow for blow. Their magic was lighting up the hall, throwing a kaleidoscope of colours across the empty stone room.

"What the… Oh my God, David!" Snow's voice yelled suddenly. Henry's head jerked towards the opposite side of the room, where Emma, Killian and Snow had just emerged from one of the side doors.

"Stay where you are," David said tensely, his eyes not leaving the magical battle unfolding before him.

He was trying to keep them out of the way, Henry thought, hazel eyes watching as a stray bolt of magical lightning crashed into one of the walls, sending a shower of rubble falling to the ground. Which was exactly what Regina had done, he realised a moment later. By using her magic to hold David down, she was keeping him out of the fight. She was keeping him safe.

_She's doing the right thing, _he thought. _She's being a hero. _

And heroes didn't die. The villains died. That was the way stories went, right? So she couldn't die now. She just couldn't.

…

Within minutes she was panting. Peter was quick, powerful and he had mastered the use of Rumplestiltskin's magic in a remarkably swift amount of time.

And she was sorely out of practice.

She gritted her teeth as a wave of his magic sent her stumbling backwards, struggling to hold onto the ward she had thrown up at the last minute to stop it, as well as the magic she had to reserve to keep Henry and David in place. Her attention was split in three directions, and it was costing her dearly.

_Love is weakness, darling, _her mother's voice reminded her.

She shook the words off, refusing to let go, refusing to allow either of them to get involved in this fight.

"Not so confident now, are you?" Peter taunted her, taking a step closer.

She lifted her head, retaliating with the slightest flick of her fingers, watching in dark satisfaction as the purple light took him by surprise, pushing him backwards and leaving a ragged cut down the length of his jaw. Dark red droplets crawled down his skin, and her purple eyes followed the trail of blood hungrily. Peter lifted his hand, hissing in pain as his fingers explored the length of the cut.

"Less talking, boy," she advised, regaining her balance and circling around him once more. Her mind was racing, questions and possibilities fluttering through her head at breakneck speed. Rumplestiltskin had always made it absolutely clear that she could never be as powerful as he was, that she would never be able to stand against him. And she had always believed him. But now… Now she had Nakoma's voice inside of her head, telling her that she was more powerful than she knew, she only had to find the way to use that power. Now she had Peter Pan in front of her, and as quick and strong as the boy was proving to be, she was still holding her ground against the force of the Dark Ones magic… Now she was starting to believe differently. She was starting to wonder if Rumplestiltskin had been lying to her all long.

_If I defeat him, _she realised, as her magic sent him stumbling again, _I'll have to kill him. _

His retaliation knocked the very air from her lungs. She doubled over, gasping.

"You look distracted," Peter sneered. "Now's not the time to be worrying about what to make for dinner."

_If I kill him, _she waved her hand in his general direction, hearing a pain filled grunt as she sent him slamming into one of the stone walls of his hall. _If I kill him… then I'll become the Dark One. _

She lifted her head, shuddering, fear and horror paralyzing her.

_I don't want to be the Dark One. _

"Enough of this," Peter snarled, regaining his feet once more. He was panting too, she noted, her eyes narrowing as he lifted both hands, pressing the insides of his wrists together and splaying his hands wide. An orb of magic formed between his palms, dark as a shadow. Regina breathed in slowly, feeling the hairs along her arms and the back of her neck prickle as the electric feeling of his magic filled the room. Whatever he was planning on firing at her, it was not about to be stopped by a mere ward.

"Regina…" David called out warningly.

"I can see it…" she said, forcing herself not to panic. If Peter wanted to end this fight in a single blow, then so be it. She pressed her palms together, concentrating on her magic. When she parted her hands, a brilliant orb of purple light was floating between them. She kept her eyes upon it, watching it stretch and grow as she pulled her hands apart, as all the while Peter pushed more of his dark magic into his own orb.

"What the hell is happening?" Emma's voice demanded fearfully.

_Not the time Miss Swan, _Regina thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She needed to concentrate.

Purple light filled her side of the room, dazzlingly bright, chasing the shadows that were building as Peter's orb grew stronger. His magic seemed to suck the very light from the air around him, deepening the darkness that surrounded him. Her hands trembled, pin pricks of pain shooting up her fingers as the power she was building grew to a point beyond her control. There was a grunt from the blonde boy standing across from her as he struggled to hold on too. He broke first, the magic between his palms escaping the confines of its orb, flying towards her. She waited a heartbeat longer before letting the magic within her own orb go, watching as the two blasts of power collided, darkness and light crashing together. The resulting explosion sent her flying. She slammed into the ground, her ears ringing, darkness creeping at the edges of her vision as unconsciousness threatened to overtake her. There was something wet and sticky crawling down the side of her face.

_Blood, _she realised, though she couldn't tell from where.

Someone was screaming her name. She could hear it distantly. She lifted her head off the ground, her blurred vision landing first upon Peter, who was lying in a crumpled heap on the opposite side of the hall. He rolled to his back, groaning in pain. She had to get up. She pushed herself, pressing her hands against the stone ground beneath her, the world spinning in and out of focus as she did. David was struggling again, fighting against the magic she was using to hold him in place, screaming at her to let him go.

_Shut up,_ she thought distractedly, staring at Peter's moving form. _The dagger, where's the dagger?_

She caught a flash of metal in his hand as the boy painstakingly pushed himself to his feet. She lifted a shaking hand, ignoring her exhaustion as she summoned her magic again. The purple light swept towards him, ripping the blade out of his grasp. The dagger flew through the air, falling with a clatter to the stone floor. The sound seemed to echo, and for a moment the world seemed frozen, and every eye in the room followed the blade as it slid across the flagstones. Peter staggered forward, one hand wrapped around his middle as he gasped futilely for air.

Regina took a step forward, her eyes locked on the shining metal of the dagger. She knew what she had to do, and she already hated herself for what she was about to become. She only knew of one way to destroy a Dark One, after all.

_I don't want this, _she thought, despairing, as she steadily forced herself to move towards the fallen blade. Her legs felt like lead, heavy and unwilling.

"Regina!" she heard David scream again and she flinched, her eyes clenching shut at the warning and fear in his voice. She had thought that he was yelling at her not to take the dagger, not to kill Peter Pan and claim the Dark One's powers as her own…A second later, when a heavy object slammed into her and sent her flying sideways, she realised that he had been warning her about something else entirely. She slammed into the wall of the fortress, her head making a sickening 'crack' as it connected with the unforgiving stone. She opened her eyes dazedly, staring through blurred vision as a sleek, dark shadow approached her.

Peter Pan's shadow.

She didn't have time for this. Already Peter was recovering, already he was moving to reclaim his dagger. She couldn't let him. Regina lifted her hand, summoning as much magic as she had left to give. Her eyes glowed with renewed energy as a brilliant purple orb of light formed around her fingers. The shadow swooped in towards her and she let that light fly towards it, her head lolling back weakly against the wall behind her as the magic swept forward in a wave of blinding power. It surged into the shadow, pulling it apart from the inside out as it writhed and convulsed helplessly. When she lifted her head away from the wall the shadow was gone.

_Get up_, Regina told herself, her hands fumbling to find purchase on the ground beneath her. She pushed herself up again, her knees buckling beneath her weight. She was exhausted. And Peter was already almost across the room. She lifted her hand weakly, sending a weak bolt of magic his way which had the boy falling to the ground. Cursing, he struggled to his feet again, renewing his efforts to reach the blade first.

_Not enough time_, she thought. If he reached that blade, she wasn't sure she would have the strength to remove it from his possession a second time.

A movement from across the room caught her attention. She watched, stunned, as Snow suddenly ran forwards, stooping down and grabbing the blade from the ground.

"Snow!" she called out, shaking her head violently. "No…!"

Peter was staggering towards her, his attention still fixed on the dagger. He stretched his hand out, reaching for it desperately. Dark magic crackled at his fingertips as he struggled to summon a spell.

"There isn't any time," Snow said, before pulling her arm back and plunging the dagger forward and straight into the boy's chest.

Screams of shock followed the action, both from Emma and David. Snow made a sound akin to a sob, yanking the bloodied blade free and dropping it with a clatter to the ground. As Peter Pan fell, his last breath gurgled through the blood choking his airways, Regina's legs gave out beneath her and she dropped too, catching herself on her hands before she could land face down.

"Why would you do that?" she heard Emma scream frantically.

"She was never going to make it!" Snow protested back, her voice shrill with shock and panic. She seemed as stunned by her action as everyone else. "Someone had to do it!"

_Not me_, Regina thought, her mind swimming. Relief flooded through her, so acute it had tears building in her eyes. _Not me, not me, not me, _the words echoed through her head. She wasn't the Dark One.

"Mom?"

She lifted her head, finding her son standing in front of her, tears falling silently down his cheeks as he met her gaze.

"Henry…" she whispered, and a heartbeat later he was in her arms, his head pressed into her neck, his body shaking as he cried.

"I was so scared! I thought… I thought…"

"Shh… It's okay…" she murmured back, rocking them both gently, her own tears beginning to fall as she closed her eyes. She ignored the world around them, ignored the sounds of the others frantically speaking over one another and simply held her son close.

_Safe. _He was safe in her arms. She sobbed slightly, pulling him in closer, her hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, feeling the weight of the fear she had carried for him beginning to lift.

"True loves kiss will break the curse anyway," Snow's voice managed to reach Regina's attention and she opened her eyes, staring across at the four people standing on the other side of the hall. Snow was standing in front of David now, looking up at him expectantly. Waiting for him to kiss her, no doubt, Regina thought, silently wondering why the idea unsettled her so much. She shouldn't care less that they had 'found each other' again. She had her son back; Henry was in _her _arms, not Emma's. So why did she care where David was? As though feeling her gaze upon him, David's attention suddenly turned to her. Their eyes met and held.

"C'mon," she pressed a kiss to Henry's hair. "Let's go see if we can help the others." She waited until he had disentangled himself from her arms before shakily rising to her feet.

"Mom, let me help you," Henry said quickly, sliding an arm around her waist and supporting a little of her weight. She found herself reluctantly leaning against him, knowing that she wasn't strong enough to make it all the way to the other end of the hall on her own.

"Snow's right," she said, once they had reached the others. She blinked, trying with difficulty to keep the world around her from spinning out of focus. Nausea was churning her stomach, and at any moment she feared she was going to become reacquainted with the floor. "True love's kiss should free her of the Dark One's magic," she added, remembering a time when she had attempted to eliminate Rumplestiltskin in exactly that way.

"You see?" Snow said, turning back to David. "So it had to be me or you; we're the only ones here who share true love."

"Right…" David murmured, not meeting his wife's gaze. His eyes were on the ground, narrowed slightly.

"Well, then, get on with it I suppose," Emma said, waving her hand between them with all the awkwardness of a child who didn't particularly want to see her parents making out.

"Of course," Snow took a breath, smiling up at David as she leaned in to him. Regina found her eyes moving away from them without her consent. She stared at the flickering patterns the torch scones cast upon the grey stone walls, she scrutinized the shadow filled corners of the room, she spent a moment staring at Peter Pan's stone throne. And finally, when she had nothing else to look at, she turned back to the fairy-tale couple, wondering why in the hell nothing had happened yet. They had stopped kissing and Snow had taken a step back. She was shaking her head in confusion, one hand touching her lips.

"I don't feel…" she started.

"Snow, I think…" David began, shaking his head.

"Did it work?" Emma interrupted them, glancing between them.

"I…" Snow faltered. "I don't know."

"Well can you do magic?" her daughter pushed.

"I… don't…" Snow turned her head, teary green eyes meeting Regina's gaze. "How do I…?"

"Lift your hand, focus your mind," Regina muttered, more than a tad reluctant to be showing Snow how to use her new-found magic. "If you have magic you should be able to feel it in the air around you. You should be able to manipulate it."

"I can feel… something…" Snow murmured, waving her hand about experimentally. Green light flickered briefly to life around her fingertips, sparking like electricity before dying out in the air around her. Snow flinched as though someone had slapped her, stumbling backwards in horror. "No, no, no! This isn't possible! This was supposed to work! I can't be the Dark One… I can't… True love's kiss was supposed to work!" she whirled around suddenly, turning upon Regina again. "What did you do?" she demanded.

"Me?" Regina lifted her hand slightly, her lips parting in surprise. "I did nothing! Why would I…?"

"You did something to David! That's why the kiss isn't working!" Snow accused, her face contorting with fury as she advanced upon the brunette. In that moment, Regina could suddenly feel the girl's new found magic swirling violently within her, as dark and powerful as Rumplestiltskin had once been. She held her ground, her dark eyes suffusing with purple light as her own magic rose up in her defence. Truthfully she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to face another fight. She felt Henry suddenly loosen his grip on her and he took a step forward, moving to stand in front of her.

"Henry!" she grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back again.

"Snow, stop!" David yelled, stepping forward and grabbing the younger woman's arm, holding her back before she could move too close. "Look at me," he said firmly. "She didn't do anything. We're going to figure this out okay, but we have to all stick together."

Regina blinked, sucking in a breath and releasing it, forcing the magic inside of her back down. She lifted her dark eyes, finding Emma staring across at her with both apprehension and suspicion.

This wasn't good.

Snow was a ticking time bomb, filled with dark magic that could explode out at any moment, and she had Emma Swan staring at her as though _she _was the dangerous one in this equation. Her eyes flickered to David, hoping against hope that she wasn't about to find the same accusation in his gaze. His blue eyes were already on her as she turned to him, calm and questioning.

She shook her head slightly, turning her attention back to her son.

"Come here," she murmured, trying to pull him back to her side. He gave her a stubborn filled look that suddenly reminded her of David, his hazel eyes glancing briefly at Snow before moving back to her, all the while he firmly held his ground. Who was he trying to protect? Regina found herself wondering, not daring to hope that it could be her.

"So what do we do now?" Emma asked, breaking the uneasy silence that had fallen upon them. She walked forward, stooping down to pluck up the dagger from where Snow had carelessly tossed it to the ground. All of them stared at it, reading Snow White's name reflected clearly upon the bloodied metal surface.

"We start by figuring out how to get off of this island," David said, his voice calm and assured. "Snow, you need to promise me that you're not going to touch that magic until we've figured out how to get rid of it."

"Of course," she said quickly, turning back towards him, wide eyed and innocent.

"Emma, take Snow and help her get cleaned up," he said, motioning to the blood that was splattered across her.

"Oh, yeah, of course," Emma nodded, moving towards her mother.  
"David I don't…" Snow started, shaking her head.

"I'll be right here, go on," he nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "It's going to be okay."

He waited until his wife and daughter had disappeared through one of the side doors leading out of the hall before turning to Killian.

"Think you can find some supplies around here?" he asked the pirate. "We could all probably do with some food."

Hook shrugged lazily. "Looting is what pirates do," he said, as he began walking in the direction that Emma and Snow had just left.

"Henry you go help Hook," David added. Regina blinked in surprise, realising suddenly that he was eliminating everyone in the room but her.

_I didn't do anything to him, surely he knows that, _she thought worriedly. She couldn't face the thought of being the Evil Queen in his eyes once more, not after everything that they had been through.

"I'm staying with my mom," Henry responded, shaking his head.

"Sweetheart, I could do with some water," Regina said, bending slightly as she spoke to him. She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I don't trust anything the pirate brings back."

Henry looked torn for a moment and then he nodded. "I'll be right back," he said, before turning around and half jogging to where Killian was waiting for him. Regina straightened; giving Hook a glare that threatened a slow and painful death should something happen to her son. He smiled back, unconcerned, as he led Henry away.

David waited until their footsteps had faded away before moving towards her.

"David I…"

"I need to speak to you," he said, cutting across her. "Outside. Right now."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_**A/N: Thank you to Evilregalminogue, Anny Rodrigues, bloodymary2, onlywithlove, Natali Rempel Drews, Addicted1, EllieMayDay, freedomqueen, London, t3ars0fglass, Guest, Vampire princess and Secrets4theunderground for your awesome reviews!**_

He caught her hand at the bottom of the stone steps leading out of the fortress and she turned back toward him, dark eyes wide and panicked.

"David I swear I did nothing, I…" she stopped talking as he stepped in closer, one hand lifting to cup her cheek.

"Do you have any idea how much you scared me?" he asked quietly, his eyes flitting between each of hers. Her lips parted silently, a soft breath of air escaping her as he turned her head to the side, examining the dark blood that was congealing in her hairline along the side of her face. "God, what did he do to you?" he murmured, tilting her head further to examine a darkening bruise that was forming along the side of her neck.

"I… I'm fine…" she lifted her hands, catching his wrists and pulling his hands away from her face. "You believe me right?"

"Believe what?" he murmured, distracted by the cut he had discovered on her temple. It was a struggle to keep calm when all he wanted to do was scream at her for putting her life in danger while he was forced to watch. He forced the urge down, knowing instinctively that she needed him to stay composed, that she was still more than a little shaken up from the battle and she needed stability right then more than chastisement.

"David I have no idea why your kiss with Snow didn't work. I didn't do anything, you know that I wouldn't…" her voice was shaking, her words stumbling over one another as she rushed to reassure him.

"Hey, hey… of course I do," he hushed her. "Of course I believe you."

He knew why the kiss hadn't worked. He knew _exactly _why, even though he couldn't find the words to admit it, even to himself. This was his own damn fault. The kiss that should have saved Snow had failed because he had gone and developed feelings for her most dangerous enemy. She was upstairs, devastated and afraid, and he hadn't been able to bring himself to comfort her until he was certain that Regina was going to be okay. Even now, he had no idea how he was supposed to go back to his wife and pretend nothing had changed when he knew that nothing would ever be the same between them. All of it was his fault.

Regina visibly shuddered, dark eyes shining with sudden, unshed tears. "You do?" she whispered.

"Come here," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. He felt her exhale raggedly against his neck.

"I don't know what I'd do if you turned against me."

"Are you kidding me?" he turned his head into her dark hair, breathing her in. He closed his eyes, soaking in the feeling of having her close. "That's not going to happen."

She lifted her hand, bringing her palm to rest flat against his chest. She was trembling, exhausted from the aftermath of the battle, no doubt. He felt her sigh against him, her weight leaning a little heavier against his as she rested her head on his shoulder. He wished he could freeze this moment, he wished they could just stand there forever in the wan morning sunlight, pretending that the rest of the world did not exist. All too soon though, she was shifting free of his grasp, pulling away. She lifted her hand, swiping an errant tear from her cheek. "I should check on Henry. I don't trust him with that pirate."

"Regina," he caught her wrist. She hesitated, dark eyes watching him questioningly. "Just promise me that you're okay? That's all I care about right now. The rest we can figure out."

She smiled, her eyes softening, the way they always seemed to when he gave her a glimpse of how much he cared for her.

_If only you truly knew, _he thought.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm fine before you'll believe me?"

"I'll stop asking when you stop finding ways to put your life in danger on a day to day basis," he stroked his thumb up and down the inside of her wrist. "You need to rest."

Her eyes flitted past him, back toward the fortress. "What are we going to do about the rest of the Lost Boys?"

"Regina…" he groaned.

"Some of them are still armed. They have mermaids ink."

"Then we'll get everyone out of here before they run into trouble." The thought of the ink disturbed him. He found himself turning toward the crumbling stone ruin behind him, suddenly afraid. "In fact you need to get out of here, right now. Wait for us back at the camp… I'll find the others and…"

"Very funny," Regina rolled her eyes, pushing past David as she walked back up the stone steps of the fort. "God, how could we forget about the rest of the boys?"

"Damn it, Regina," he followed after her closely, hissing in frustration at her stubbornness. "What happened to not putting yourself at risk anymore?"

"What happened to rescuing Henry?" Regina shot back. "We just sent everyone straight back into danger."

"You defeated Peter Pan. All any of those boys probably care about is getting the hell out of this place," David pointed out. Darkness fell over both of them as they walked back into hall. David found his gaze moving over Peter Pan's unmoving form lying on the ground a few feet away, a shudder running through him as flashbacks of the battle ran through his mind.

"Mom!" Henry had been waiting for them inside. Regina caught him as he ran to her side, smiling brilliantly. Even the slightest attention from her son was enough to have her lighting up with happiness. He wished he could see her smile like that more often. "Where did you go?"

"I needed some fresh air," she said, her eyes flicking briefly back to David as she answered. She ran her hand through Henry's hair, smoothing it down. "Where is Hook?"

"He went to fetch Emma and Snow. He's worried if we stick around too long the Lost Boy's might try something. He told me to come and find you. I didn't have a chance to find any water…"

"It's okay," Regina reassured him quickly.

"Guess Hook had the same idea we did," David commented.

Regina nodded, her brows pulling together in concern. "Do you want to go and look for them? Henry and I can wait here."

His eyes flickered over her as he considered it. Bloodied and bruised, her skin still pale as a sheet, her hands trembling at her sides… Neither Emma, Snow nor Killian were injured. Regina was. He couldn't leave her this way.

"It'll be easier to let them find us in here," he said, shaking his head. She gave him a confused look, which he ignored, turning to face the doorway that his wife and daughter had disappeared through as he waited.

"What about Rumplestiltskin?" Henry asked suddenly. "We can't just leave him here."

David turned back, watching as Regina crouched down in front of her son, her features soft with sympathy.

"Darling, about Mr Gold…"

"I know he's dead," Henry interrupted her. "I…I was there."

"You were? Oh, Henry I'm so sorry," she pulled him closer, hugging him against her.

"It was my fault," Henry said, his voice now thick with tears. "Peter used me to kill him. Gold sacrificed himself for me."

"Of course it's not your fault. The only person responsible for his death is Peter Pan, okay?" she said firmly, pulling back so that she could look into his eyes. "I don't want you to ever think that you are in anyway to blame, do you hear me?"

"We can't leave him here. It isn't fair. We need to bring him back home with us."

Regina's eyes lifted to David and he nodded.

"We'll find him kid," he said and Henry turned toward him. "You're right. He doesn't deserve to be left here."

"Who doesn't?" Snow asked, walking into the hall with Emma and Killian in tow. Regina straightened, her hands falling to Henry's shoulders in an unconscious act of possessiveness as her eyes met Emma's. A flicker of annoyance passed across his daughter's features, but she thankfully said nothing. As tense and tired as everyone was, David had no doubt that an argument could break out in seconds between them at the slightest provocation.

"Rumplestiltskin," he answered as Snow stepped up to his side. She took his hand in hers, leaning against his arm. "Henry doesn't want to leave him behind," he continued, trying to ignore the part of his mind that was now focused on Snow's hand wrapped around his. He shouldn't be comparing them, he thought in frustration. But he couldn't help it. He couldn't help but wonder why holding Regina's hand felt so different to this, why he was always painfully aware of every single moment he was touching her. He had never felt that way around Snow. Theirs had been a love based on friendship and affection, the first real love he had ever known. What he felt for Regina could not have been more different. Everything about it felt more complicated, more intense. It defied all logic and common sense. It ignored every memory he had of the Evil Queen, of who she had been and what she had done. The memories felt disconnected, as though he was remembering a completely different person. Their past no longer mattered to him. Nothing mattered anymore but _her_ and the way he felt when he was around her.

"How are we supposed to get him back to the ship?" Emma asked, glancing between them.

"I'll deal with it," Regina sighed. "I can send all of you back to the ship now. I'll track down Gold's…uh… body…" she stumbled over the word, glancing down at Henry apologetically before continuing, "and then bring him back with me. We'll sail him home with us."

"Just how hard did you hit your head back there?" Emma asked, "Because there is no way we are leaving you alone like this."

Regina lifted her hand, swiping distractedly at the blood still dripping down her cheek.

"I'm perfectly fine," she muttered, even as she winced as her fingers connected with the lump forming on the side of her head.

_Like hell_, David thought, his eyes narrowed as he watched her. Either she was coming with them, or he was staying behind with her, but he was not about to leave her alone here.

"Can't you use your magic to find him faster?" Henry asked, turning around so that he was facing Regina. She kept her hands on his shoulders. "Like the way you found me earlier – you knew where I was hiding after Peter Pan told you I was missing."

"You did?" David asked, meeting the brunette's gaze curiously.

"Yea," Henry nodded enthusiastically. "She used her magic to keep me hidden. And she spoke to me in my mind!" he stared up at his mother in wonderment. "I didn't know you could do that!"

"You spoke to him in his mind?" Emma echoed, staring across at Regina with a mixture of bewilderment and accusation. "So what, does that mean you can get inside people's heads or something?"

"No, it wasn't like that!" Henry protested, his face falling. He turned around again to face them all. "She just told me to stay where I was, she didn't do anything wrong…"

"I don't want you in my son's head," Emma said, glaring across at Regina.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Regina shook her head in disdain. "I was not _in his head_. I spoke a word to him, that was all."

"Henry," Emma held out her hand to her son. "Come stand next to me."

Regina's eyes squeezed shut for a moment, exhaustion written across her features. "Miss Swan, you're making more of this than it is," she said. Her voice was softer than it should have been, lacking its usual venom.

"I'm staying here," Henry said firmly.

For the first time, David realised that Regina's hands weren't simply holding onto Henry out of possessiveness, she was using her son for support.

"Henry..." Emma began again, but before he knew what was happening, David was cutting his daughter off, stepping forward and pulling out of Snow's grasp.

"Enough!" he snapped. "This is not the place to be arguing. Until we reach the ship, we're all going to have to try and get along. You may not like it, but for now we are working together." He caught Snow's startled stare and turned away, staring Emma down until she nodded in reluctant agreement and then turning to Regina. The hardness in his expression instantly faltered at the bright amusement burning in her dark eyes.

She lifted her hand, one finger flicking to the right. "He's over there," she said.

David shook his head at her. "I was about to tell you that using your magic is a bad idea," he chastised her.

Her lips twitched in the barest hint of a smile. "I know," she acknowledged without remorse. "Through that door, across the courtyard and down the steps into the dungeon. He should be within the first room."

"I'll go get him," Emma muttered, turning toward the doorway. Without a word, Killian turned to follow her out.

David exhaled slowly, still staring across at Regina, all the while feeling the weight of Snow's stare against his back. This was proving to be impossible. He had never been particularly adept at deceit, especially not where his feelings were concerned. He didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to force himself to walk away from Regina and back to Snow's side. Was he going to lie to all of them forever? He shook his head and turned around and Snow smiled up at him as he walked back toward her. This was not the time for such thoughts.

"You're getting pretty good at that," Snow murmured, stepping closer to him.

"Good at what?" David asked, resisting the urge to glance over his shoulder as Snow wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Stopping fights," she said. She sighed, resting her head against his chest. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," he said, returning her embrace. Something about the way his arms moved felt stiff, reluctant. He allowed the hug to continue for only a moment longer before pulling away. "I should go and see if they need any help," he murmured, gesturing to the open doorway where his daughter had disappeared with the pirate. Hazy shards of sunlight spilled through the opening, the added light only deepening the shadows within the room. David's blue eyes flickered over each of them warily, the memory of what it felt like to be caught within the grasp of such a shadow all too fresh in his mind. He was almost at the doorway when he spotted Emma and Hook walking back across the sunny courtyard towards him, a body wrapped in white cloth held in the pirate's arms. He stepped back as they entered the room, his throat tightening as he stared down at the unmoving form that Hook held. After all these years, after all this time spent thinking that Rumplestiltskin was invulnerable, he was finally dead. He glanced over at Regina, who seemed frozen, her eyes wide and disbelieving as she stared.

"Is that him?" she asked softly.

"No, we took some other dead guy out of the dungeon instead," Emma retorted sarcastically.

"Emma," Killian said admonishingly, tilting his head towards Henry. The boy was standing rigidly in Regina's grasp, his eyes fixed on Rumplestiltskin's body.

"Okay," Regina took a breath, seeming to snap out of her trance. "We should get out of here." She cleared her throat, and when she spoke again her voice was steadier. "If you would all gather around me," she made a circular movement with her hand, gesturing for them to move closer.

"Don't we need to hold on to you or something?" Emma asked.

"Thankfully no," Regina responded, purple light flickering around her hands. It spilled to the ground beneath her feet, forming a magical smoke that moved to wrap around each of them in turn. A moment later the fortress around them had disappeared, and the six of them were standing on the creaking wooden deck of the Jolly Rodger.

"I never thought I'd be happy to see this hunk of wood again," Emma sighed.

"Hey!" Hook protested, as he unceremoniously dumped Rumplestiltskin's body to the ground. "This is the finest ship you'll ever lay eyes upon, princess."

David ignored the banter, focusing only on Regina's face, on the way the last of the colour seemed to drain from her skin and her eyes lost focus. He took a quick step forward to catch her as her knees buckled beneath her. She fell limply against him, her head lolling against his chest.

"Mom!" Henry cried out in panic.

"Shit," Emma swore. "Is she okay?"

He shifted his grip around her, one arm sliding beneath her knees as he lifted her easily into his arms.

"She must have fainted," Snow murmured, her eyes on Regina. "I guess using her magic to get us back here might have been too much for her. Take her downstairs," she suggested. "She can sleep it off."

David nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He carried her below deck, listening with half an ear as Emma and Killian argued over where to store Rumplestiltskin's body.

"You're an idiot," he muttered to the brunette in his arms, carrying her down the narrow passage to one of the cabins and pushing open the door with his foot. He lowered her down onto one of the beds within, his hand automatically moving to shift her dark hair off of her face. "I swear, that was the last stupid, reckless thing I'm letting you get away with. No more danger for you, do you hear me? I can't handle anymore of this." He sighed raggedly, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her. He had a sudden urge to simply lie down next to her and fall asleep, and just the let the world around him disappear for a while.

_Until someone comes down here, _he thought, _and sees Prince Charming and the Evil Queen sleeping together. _

"I can't keep pretending Regina," he sighed. He took her hand in his, stroking his thumb against the back of it as he considered the swirl of emotions that touching her always evoked within him. "I can't pretend that things haven't changed – that I don't want to be with you. I can't keep trying to convince myself that I'm not in love with you…" he trailed off, exhaling slowly. "There, I said it. I'm in love with you. Trying to deny it isn't working and it isn't fair to anyone either. Not to Snow… Not to me or you. I love you," he repeated softly. He shook his head, a weight lifting off his chest at the admission. He was done fighting this. "And as soon as we're off this ship, as soon as we're back and safe again, I'm telling you everything," he leaned in closer, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Maybe next time I can try this while you're awake."


End file.
